Brotherly Bond
by LadyDarkwind
Summary: Finn didn't know what had happened to catapult him into this world of legends and epic battles, but it seemed he Poe were right in the middle of it, with Finn, himself, becoming a thing of legend. When Finn meets the Twi'lek girl, Twila, his life changes in ways he could never have imagined. Rated M for strong language and some sexual themes. (Parallel story to For The Girl)
1. Chapter 1

Finn stood, listening to General Organa briefing the Resistance on Yavin-4. _How did I get here_? He thought to himself, shaking his head in wonder. After _Starkiller_ , Finn had woken up on D'Qar, confused and disoriented. If Poe hadn't been there to fill Finn in, on all that he'd missed, he'd probably _still_ be catching up. I mean, come on; Rey? A _Jedi_? He'd believe it when he saw it. Rey had been on Ach-to with Luke Skywalker for almost six months now. He couldn't believe it had been that long.

At first, when Finn woke, they figured he'd be paralyzed for sure. But then, one morning, Finn's toe had twitched. The doctors couldn't explain it; they kept repeating, over and over, that Finn _shouldn't_ be able to walk, let along fight for the Resistance. The first four months after Kylo-Ren had nearly killed him were physically some of the most demanding of his life. He and Poe had become good friends over that period of time; Poe was there for whatever Finn needed; he even moved into Finn's quarters to help him take care of himself. Finn had never had a brother, but he thought that his friendship with Poe was the closest thing he was likely to get.

The final two months of his recovery were _mentally_ the hardest he'd lived through. Finn had wanted nothing more than to snatch up a blaster and fly off in search of Kylo-Ren. Finn would never forgive that bastard for what he'd done. What kind of monster kills his own father? If Poe hadn't been there to talk Finn down from doing something stupid countless times, who know what might have happened? So, when General Organa came to Poe, asking if he knew any good fighters that could be of use as her personal bodyguard on Yavin-4, Poe had immediately indicated Finn. Three days later, and here he was, in the thick of it. Finn still couldn't quite believe his luck.

Poe tapped him on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper, "Anybody home? You look like you're about to fall asleep!" Finn smirked and nodded once. The General turned towards him, which Poe knew was his cue. He stepped forward, taking a datapad out from his jacket pocket and handing it to the General.

General Organa smiled at him, "Thank you, Finn." She turned back to the assembled mass and returned to the briefing, "This is what we know so far about their forces. Kylo-Ren leads the Knights of Ren, and trains them to be as ruthless as he is. However, he intentionally leaves gaps in their training so that he can defeat them if he needs to. We have learned that The Knights of Ren structure their hierarchy by means of strength, meaning they frequently fight to the death for leadership. General Hux seems to be a man of few weaknesses, or at least few that he allows to be found out. However, one of these weaknesses _seems_ to be Captain Phasma. It has been suggested to me that there may be...something more to their relationship." Someone gagged, "Yes, I feel exactly the same way about the man. However, it may come in useful later. Now; as for Supreme Leader Snoke, we know _exactly_ where that son of a bitch comes from," many looked down or gasped at the General's use of language; she almost never swore. "Their finances seem well-secured, and their 'recruitment' methods are...effective. Though kidnapping infants and murdering their families hardly seems like 'recruitment' to me. However, there is a new threat that has come to light, or rather, stepped out of the abyss and into shadow. All we know currently is that he goes by the name of Master Ren, and even _Snoke_ is afraid of him. If anyone ever encounters this 'Master Ren,' _get out of their as fast as you can_. No ifs, ands, or buts, no plan B, no 'but I wanna's. Run. Other than that, you know how to handle Stormtoopers. Don't miss. May the Force be with you."

Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, the Resistance slowly filed out, leaving Finn, Poe, and the General alone. "Well. That was fun," Poe teased. "Just wait until Rey gets back; if she's half so great as everyone seems to think she is, we'll have the First Order running for the hills once she gets all trained up."

Just then, a young woman came running up to Leia and bent over to whisper in her ear. The General's eyebrows shot up, "The _Falcon_? When and where?" The girl handed over a datapad, which Leia quickly perused. "They've entered the system? Finn! Poe! Come with me." She strode briskly out of the briefing room and into the massive hangar bay. Being here gave her a massive sense of deja-vu, but she thought the ruse might work, given the right circumstances. Word had reached the General's ears of a certain prophecy, concerning the heir of the Kenobi line; if she was right, and she usually was, that heir was Rey. If she was right, then the girl was her son's last hope at redemption; Leia had to see to it that they were thrown together again; Powers help her if the girl died because of it.

Just then, she sensed him. He had returned, at long last. She heard the oh-so-familiar sound of the _Falcon_ 's engines, and within ten minutes, whispers were spreading through the crowd like wildfire; this could mean only one thing. "Luke!" cried Leia, as she rushed to her brother's side, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the cheek, "I've missed you so much. _Han_..."

Luke squeezed his twin more tightly, "I know, Leia. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Rey had decided to give the twins some space; Finn saw her looking around for them, and he thought he had never seen someone more beautiful. He counted his breaths until Rey's eyes finally slid in his direction, catching his for a moment before she smiled. As he watched her, he nearly laughed at how very out-of-place she looked.

Poe slid away from the wall and strode confidently towards Rey, "There's the galaxy's next Jedi!" He shouted, making Rey blush. He wrapped Rey up in a great bear hug before she turned to hug Finn as well. "Seriously, though," started Poe, "It's good to see you. You look great."

Suddenly, over the intercom, there came an announcement: _Shuttles are approaching the planet. They are clearly marked as First Order vessels, and do not respond to our hails. Prepare for attack._ Finn and Poe glanced at each other, adrenaline coursing through them both. Poe grabbed Finn and shoved a blaster into his hand as all three started sprinting for the _Falcon_. Rey drew up short, her face paling. "What's wrong?" Finn asked.

"He's here," Rey whispered. "Run, you two. Run! Get out of here! Go!"

Finn hesitated, half-reaching for Rey's elbow, but Poe took him by the other elbow and physically began to drag him to the _Falcon_ as Stormtroopers rushed into the hangar. Sparse blaster-fire began to pepper Finn and Poe; they fired back, hitting both of their targets.

At last, they reached the _Falcon_ , which they found defended by Chewbacca. They raced on-board, while dozens of smaller vessels did the same. They watched as Kylo-Ren's shuttle landed, and the man himself stepped out. Finn's eyes went blank for a moment as rage flooded through him; there was nothing that would make him happier than to see that _bastard_ six feet under. He blanched as he saw Rey engage her double-bladed saber-staff, twirling it defiantly.

Just then, Luke came sprinting up. Finn had to admire the man; he was incredibly spry for his age. He bolted up the ramp, glancing quickly at them, "Good, good," he muttered, as though to himself. "Let's go; we need to regroup with the rest of the Resistance on the other side of the planet.."

"Wait, what? Are you insane!? Rey's still out there! We are _not_ leaving until she's on this ship!" Luke looked at Finn with his eyebrows raised, "Is that so?" Suddenly, Luke's eyebrows knitted together and his eyes narrowed as he studied Finn. "Well, that _is_ interesting," Luke said softly. "Look, I know you two are worried about Rey, but she can handle herself, I promise. She'll be just fine. Right now, what is needed is someone to protect my sister; that's our job now. Besides; Leia's planning something. I can sense it, and whatever it is, it will affect this war." His eyes unfocused slightly, "Yes; her plans will change everything. Clever woman."

Without another word, Luke hurried to the cockpit and punched in the ignition sequence. He punched it, and the _Falcon_ lifted into the air and headed for the other side of Yavin-4. Within 30 minutes, they had landed at the new base and were searching for the General. At last, they found her, surrounded, as per usual, by dozens of aids, Captains, and whatever other staff was necessary. Chewie roared in greeting, and the General quickly made her way over to them, dismissing the small crowd that encircled her.

"Luke, thank goodness. I was worried for a moment there. Did you see him? Did you see my son?"

Luke nodded, "I did; we fought. Don't worry, he's fine. I only knocked him out; I only engaged with him so that it would serve as a distraction for Rey to get some distance, and maybe work on taking out some of those Knights. She'll be fine, don't worry."

Leia sighed, "I hope you're right. Hello, Chewie; I'm glad to see you. I've missed you around here." Chewie chuffed out a laugh and pulled his old friend into a gentle, one-armed hug. "Well, I suppose we should get to planning and regrouping. Who knows how far our forces scattered when the First Order showed up?" With that, the five made their way to a small briefing room, where they could discuss strategies uninterrupted. Finn, however, felt somewhat uncomfortable; Luke kept staring at him, and he could not think of why. He resolved to corner the old Jedi and get an answer from him. But for the time being, he focused on the task at hand.


	2. Chapter 2

***Author's Note***

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my second story! I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Now, to stress one thing: this is NOT a love story between Finn and Poe, which is cemented in this chapter. I love a good yaoi as much as the next girl, but it just didn't _feel_ right for these two. Well, enjoy!

***End Note***

They had only been discussing strategy for about two hours when Finn and Luke both swayed suddenly, leaning heavily on the table. "Rey's in trouble; she's hurt," whispered Finn. Luke's head snapped up as he stared at Finn, surprised.

"Finn, are you sure? How do you know?" Poe gripped his shoulder tightly, turning his friend to face him. "How do you know?"

Finn looked confused for a moment before he blanched and swayed again, "Kylo-Ren has found her...There's something wrong. Rey's not moving..." Tears sprang to Finn's eyes, "Poe, what if she..."

Poe shook his head, "Don't worry about it, buddy. She'll be fine. Scavengers are tough, and she seems to be tougher than most. How do you know she's in trouble?"

Luke pushed past Poe and took Finn's shoulders, "Don't worry about _how_ you know; just focus on _what_ you know. Where is she?"

Finn shook his head slowly, trying to clear it, "I...I don't know. It...It's gone. All I saw was Rey bleeding on the ground. I think she's in the jungle somewhere. I didn't get anything more. I'm sorry."

Luke straightened and cocked his head as he studied Finn, "How long have you been having these visions?"

Finn stared back, "I don't know...I've never had one before. I get _feelings_ sometimes, but never something that vivid. What's happening to me?"

Luke smiled kindly, "I can understand why you'd think something was wrong, if that was your first vision. Nothing's wrong with you. You're a Force-Sensitive. I knew it from the moment I met you. You need training, Finn; for your safety and the safety of others. As for becoming a proper Jedi, that decision will be up to you."

Poe blinked, "Wait. You're telling me that _Finn_ is...No way."

Finn, however, stayed silent, thinking. He reached out and laid a hand on Poe's arm, "Wait; think about it, Poe. When Kylo-Ren beat me, I _should_ have died, but I didn't. The doctors never could figure out how I could walk again. This is the only explanation that makes any sense. But I don't want anyone to know about this. Not yet."

Through the entire conversation, General Organa had been silently thinking, "That may actually work to our advantage. I can think of many uses for a secret Force-User. I think Finn has a good idea with keeping his new-found abilities quiet. Finn? You are to begin your training with Luke as soon as possible. And you are to tell _no one_ about this. Not even Rey, when we find her; and we _will_ find her. Now, go, both of you, I need to speak with my brother."

Finn and Poe did as they were ordered; Luke turned to follow them, but Leia grabbed his elbow. _Wait_ , she thought at her twin. The doors slid shut behind Finn and Poe as Luke turned, waiting for his sister to speak. At last, Leia sighed and crossed her arms, "We need to not go after Rey just yet. We need to give them time. Yes, _them_. There was a prophecy told about Rey; she is supposed to redeem one of the darkest Jedi since Vader. Call me crazy, but I think it's talking about Ben. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that we need to leave them alone for a while. I know it's a terrible risk, but I feel that it needs to be done. I don't think he really wants to hurt her. I don't think _he_ knows what he wants from her. Trust me on this one, okay?"

Luke smiled at her, "I agree completely. I've been having the same feeling for a few days now. There's something you need to know; do you remember the dream Ben and... _Padme_ used to have as children?" Leia winced at the mention of her dead daughter, "Rey had that same dream a few days back. Now, what do you think that might mean?"

Leia grinned wolfishly at her brother, "I think it means that I'm right."

Finn and Poe walked through the new base, reveling in the peaceful moment. Poe turned to stare as a rather attractive female pilot walked past, "That's what you need, Finn. A woman."

Finn smirked, "Why is it that you seem to think that a woman is the answer to everything? Maybe some of us don't mind being single. Ever think of that?"

Poe laughed and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Finn, stop pretending; you and I both know you're half-gone on Rey. Not that I can blame you; she is _hot_." Poe ducked and laughed as Finn swung at him, flushing. "I'm sorry; but on a serious note, your girl is pretty brave. And pretty, but mostly brave. You've got a good eye. Don't worry, buddy. We'll find her."

Finn leaned into his friend, "Thanks, Poe. I don't know what I'd do if I were in this alone."

Poe laughed, "Wow. Too much bonding; I'll tell you what you'd do: you'd kick some serious ass! You seem predisposed to the ass kicking gene!"

Finn chuckled, "Come on; let's find somewhere quiet. I feel like my head's going to explode after all this." The pair strode off towards the jungle to find a quiet spot so Finn could relax. At last, they found a little clearing that seemed a galaxy away, and the best part was that there were no other people around. Finn sighed, "This is _way_ better. I don't feel so much like my head is buzzing. I don't know why, but every time I'm around a lot of people, it feels like my head is full of bees. Maybe Luke is right; maybe I _am_ a Force-Sensitive. It definitely seem to be the only explanation that makes any sense."

They heard movement behind them as Luke stepped into the clearing, "Ah. There you two are. I thought you might be looking for a little peace and quiet; I'd forgotten what it's like to be around that many people. It must be overwhelming for you, Finn, having your abilities show themselves so suddenly. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have sprung it on you like that. I'd planned to explain better, but circumstances being what they were, I didn't have much choice."

Finn looked down fro a moment, thinking, "When would we start training? I mean, _if_ I went along with this?"

Luke laughed as he leaned against a tree, "You seem to be laboring under the misconception that my sister was giving you a choice! Finn, you don't know my sister very well yet, so I'll fill you in on a little secret; when Leia wants something, she gets it. One way or another, she gets what she wants. So do yourself and everyone around you a favor and just give in. It'll happen one way or another, and believe me; you'd rather it be the easy way. Besides, it'll be better for you to get training quickly. You'll feel better, I promise."

Finn sighed, "Well, I guess I just don't have a choice, do I? Alright, I'll accept your training, but I won't keep any of this secret from Poe."

Luke laughed again, "Oh, no; I don't think you could if you wanted to, with a Force-Bond as strong as yours!"

Finn and Poe blanched, and Poe jumped forward, "Hey, whoa, hold on a sec! I _like women_! I'm not...I mean, we're not...I don't...We are _not_ gay!"

Luke held his hands up defensively, his right hand glinting in the sunlight, "Easy, now; I never said you were. There are all kinds of Force-Bonds. Not all of them are romantic; I have an incredibly strong Bond with Leia. In fact, I'd have to say that your Bond is more the type that is typically seen between siblings. You're what I'd call Bond Brothers, or Blood Brothers; whichever you'd prefer. No, there is absolutely nothing romantic between you; and yet, you are far closer than most lovers will ever be. Some people will undoubtedly wonder about your sexuality, but that's their problem, not yours. I wonder if your training would not benefit from having Poe here. Let's try it; right now. I'll lead you through your first meditation. I know it seems archaic and strange, but it is incredibly helpful, both when seeking answers, and when seeking peace and serenity."

Luke sat in the middle of the meadow with his legs crossed and directed Finn to do the same. Poe took up residence on a rock, watching with interest. "Now, breathe deeply; in through your nose, out through your mouth. Each breath will be smoother and more relaxing than the last; that's right, very good. Now, slow your breathing so that you feel every cell begin to fill with that breath. Excellent. Now, sit up straight and feel your lower half begin to sink into the ground beneath you, while your head grows light and begins to float into the sky. Feel your neck and spine lengthen and your limbs grow heavy and relax into the ground. Very good. Keep breathing. Seek in yourself your peaceful spot where nothing touches you, where nothing harms you. Hold on to that spot, and don't let it go. Now; slowly bring your head back down to your shoulders and raise your lower half from the ground. Your limbs are growing lighter, and your spine and neck shorter. Very good, Finn. Now; very, very slowly, return your breathing to normal and open your eyes. Excellent."

As Finn opened his eyes, Poe chuckled, "Damn. You look like you just got laid."

Luke flicked a finger and sent a pebble flying past Poe's ear. "No distractions, please. Now; Finn. Lift this rock." Luke held out his right hand to reveal a sizable rock, "I want you to make this rock hover over my hand." Finn stared at Luke like he'd grown a second head. "I want you to stretch out with your feelings. Reach out and _feel_ the rock; feel everything around you. The Force surrounds every living thing. It connects us all and binds us together. It is as infinite in possibility as your imagination. Now, _lift_ the rock with your feelings. Concentrate, that's it. Ignore the brighter spots that are Poe and myself; focus on the lesser spot of Force-Energy that is in the palm of my hand. Narrow your focus and find the rock, Finn. Very good. You have it now."

The rock began to wobble in Luke's hand, and Poe sat bolt upright in surprise. The rock suddenly lifted about an inch above Luke's hand, still wobbling madly. Poe stole a glance at Finn and saw that sweat was pouring down his face. "Very good, Finn! Now, lift the rock higher."

As suddenly as the rock had lifted, it fell. Finn let out his breath in a huff. "I can't do it. It's too hard, I just can't do it." Much to Finn's surprise and aggravation, Luke began to laugh. "And what, exactly, is so damn funny?"

Luke chuckled again, "I'm sorry, Finn; it's just that you remind me so much of myself when I had first begun my training. I often uttered those very words to Master Yoda. 'I can't.' It was always, 'I can't' or It's too hard' or 'It's too big' and then there was always, 'I'm not strong enough.'" Luke stood, walked over to Finn, and knelt in front of him, looking him directly in the eye, "Now, I will tell you what Master Yoda told me: That is why you fail. Finn, you can do so much more than you realize. The Force is only limited by your belief in yourself. I once believed that my X-Wing was too big for me to lift through the Force. And then, to my very great admonishment, my 400-year-old Master, who was _maybe_ one-third my size lifted my X-Wing with little to no effort whatsoever. Now, let me ask you this: Do you still think a palm-sized rock is too large to lift?"

Finn looked down at the ground, properly admonished and slightly ashamed of himself, "No, Master. Please, may I try again?"

Luke smiled, satisfied. "There is no try. Do, or do not. But of course, go again." Finn nodded, a look of sheer, stubborn determination on his face. He closed his eyes and _reached._ To Luke's satisfaction and everyone else's very great surprise, the rock shot rapidly into the air, until it vanished from sight. "Excellent, Finn! Very good. I'm proud of you. Now. Do it again, but this time with two rocks, and you choose the rocks, this time." The exercise continued all afternoon and into the early evening. Luke had Finn lift as many as ten rocks into the air at once, all different sizes and shapes. When he had succeeded to Luke's specifications, they moved on to boulders of ever-increasing size and weight. By the time Luke called a halt to the evening's lesson, Finn was exhausted. However, he also was lifting nearly every rock in the meadow with more and more ease. As the last massive boulder gently settled on the ground, Luke stood and stretched. "All right, Finn. I think that'll do for today. Go eat something. I'm sure you're famished. I'm very proud of you, Padawan."

Finn looked up in surprise at the term, then stood carefully, also stretching. He considered Luke for a moment before bowing, "Thank you, Master. I am thankful that you are teaching me."

Luke smiled as he laid a hand on Finn's shoulder, "Think nothing of it. Tomorrow, I expect you to give me even more effort. And I never want to hear the words 'I can't' come out of your mouth again. Am I understood?"

Finn nodded, "Yes, Master."

"Alright, then; go on. Get out of here. I think I'll stay here and meditate a bit. Meet me here tomorrow morning. Sadly, I don't think your...brother... will be able to join us. My sister has other plans for him. Guard duty, I think."

Poe groaned, "Ugh. I hate being grounded. I never have anything to do except _fucking_ guard duty. _Damn_ it."

Finn chuckled as they headed towards base, "Hey, relax. You've got it easy. _I_ have training tomorrow." Suddenly, Finn's head spun, causing him to stumble. Poe lunged for him just in time, "I'm okay, Poe. I think I just didn't realize exactly how much energy that took. I still can't quite believe this is all happening to me. I mean, it's all been so _fast_. Just yesterday, I was just some poor kid that General Organa took pity on when she recruited me to be her personal bodyguard. Now, I'm being trained by _Luke Skywalker_ , only the greatest legendary figure of our time! Come to find out, I can _use the Force_! I feel like I'm dreaming. If it weren't for this completely _right_ feeling that I have in my gut, I'd think I was going crazy."

Poe smiled, "Yeah, it was pretty damn cool watching you lift all those rocks. Kinda puts things into perspective. You're a pretty ordinary-looking guy, but under the surface, you have this _incredible_ power that most people only _dream_ of having; you have the power to really _change_ things, you know? If I were you, I'd be ecstatic. You're pretty lucky, Finn. For some reason, destiny, or the Force, or whatever you want to call it, chose _you_ to hold this incredible responsibility, this massive power. You could probably level this forest with a thought and a flick of your wrist, if you wanted. You could make someone do whatever you wanted them to. But I know you won't, because you may just be the best man I've ever known. I trust you, Finn. You're gonna make a hell of a Jedi, or whatever."

Finn laughed, "Thanks, Poe. Especially for the 'or whatever' part. You've got a point, though. I _am_ lucky. Now, I don't know about you, but I am starving. I want to bury my face in a plate full of food, and then collapse into my pillow. Come on, let's go eat." With that, the friends broke through the trees and headed for the mess hall.

***Author's Note***

Ahhhh. Poor Finn; everything is just happening so quickly around him; it seems like it's all he can do to hold on. Let me know what you thought in the reviews! As ever, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

***Author's Note***

Good afternoon, lovely people! I really hope you're enjoying this story so far. We're staring to get into some pretty interesting stuff, I think. I hope you agree. Well, enjoy, all!

***End Note***

Six days later, Luke and Finn sat cross-legged in the meadow, staring at each other. Poe was laying on his usual rock, looking half asleep. Every so often, he would lift his head off the rock to glance at Luke and Finn, roll his eyes, and lay his head back down. _They've been sitting there for hours! I could be doing_ _ **anything**_ _else right now, but I'm stuck here watching a_ _ **staring contest**_. Poe thought, annoyed. Suddenly, Finn twitched, and Poe sat up cautiously. Luke and Finn rocketed alarmingly to their feet, eyes still locked. Both had veins popping out in their necks, but neither seemed to be losing whatever battle of wits was going on. Between them, there formed what looked like a bubble of sheer energy; it bent and refracted the light around it, and _exploded_ outward, with great strength and little warning. It knocked Poe over backwards, and just before his head connected with the ground, he found himself unexpectedly floating, inches off the ground. _Well, that's new,_ he thought. Poe came gently back to the ground, just in time to see Finn lower his hand, never taking his eyes off of Luke. Their hands snapped up, aiming at each other, and both were shoved backwards a few feet. A trickle of sweat rolled down both men's temples. A branch snapped off of a tree, hurtling itself at Finn; Poe lurched forward, only to see Finn's hand snap up again, this time aiming towards _him!_ It felt like a massive hand _shoved_ Poe back to the ground, and at the same time, Finn's other hand snapped up to aim at the branch, stopping it dead.

 _If you don't stop trying to get yourself killed, I'm going to get my ass kicked!_ Came Finn's voice in Poe's head. Poe jolted with surprise, but nodded at his friend, and thought with all his might, _Okay_. Finn gave a minuscule nod to show that he had heard Poe. The branch floating above Finn's head swung rapidly towards Luke, but he ducked, and the branch hurtled harmlessly into another tree, sending a shower of leaves down on the combatants. Next, Luke sent a barrage of stones flying at Finn; some were as big as speeders. Finn's eyes narrowed as he flung up his hands, stopping the rocks in midair and even turning the smaller ones back towards Luke, at a far higher velocity than Luke had sent them at Finn. It was Luke's turn to go on the defensive; he forced the ground at his feet to spring upwards like a shield, blocking the rocks. "Enough," murmured Luke, as, with no warning, Finn collapsed. Luke caught him with the Force and lowered him gently to the ground. Poe sprung to his feet and sprinted to his friend's side.

Finn stirred groggily and stared up at his Master. "What...happened?"

Luke smiled down at his Padawan, "I put an end to it before any real damage could be done. I am very impressed, Finn. You have done well."

Finn looked away, "Not really. I didn't even manage to hit you once. You broke through my mental defenses and knocked me out."

"Are you sure about that?" Luke moved his robes aside so that Finn could see the small blotch of blood seeping into his tunic. "I'd say you drew first blood, actually. So I repeat; well done."

Finn's eyebrows shot up as he got carefully to his feet, "But, when did I do that!?"

Luke chuckled, "One of the pebbles got through; I was so focused on the larger rocks you sent at me that I missed the smallest. It was an excellent strategy, young Padawan. I am very proud of you."

Poe shook his head, "Nope. I don't get it. How the _fuck..._ "

"Language, please," Luke admonished.

Poe glared at him and continued, "How the _**fuck**_ is that TRAINING!? I damn near lost my head!"

Finn glanced at his friend with a raised eyebrow, "You would have been fine if you'd just stayed put..."

Poe rounded on Finn, "I _did_ stay put, and then your little _training session_ blew me ass-over-teakettle off my damn rock!"

Finn fought desperately to keep a straight face, "Yeah, but I caught you, didn't I?"

"I see that smirk. It's not funny, _damn it_!" Poe gave an enormous, involuntary snort, "It's not... _Damn_ you." Poe dissolved into giggles as Finn completely lost control, doubling up with hilarious laughter.

"Seriously, though...I _am_ sorry...that you were... _blown away_ by our training methods!" Finn sputtered between fits of laughter.

"'Blown away'? Oh, that's awful! You need to come up with some better punchlines, buddy!" The pair clung to each other for support until the laughter subsided.

Luke chuckled at the pair of them, "Well, I'm glad to see no one was seriously hurt. You have got to be one of the fastest learners I have ever had the pleasure to teach, Finn. And that includes Rey. You and she are about on a level with how quickly you learned to master Force-Push. It is one of the most useful and rudimentary skills that every Force-User must master. You, my Padawan, are well on your way. You have already begun combining your skills with strategic thinking; very advanced. Well done, indeed."

Finn turned to his Master and bowed, "Thank you, Master Luke. I am grateful for the training."

"You are most welcome, Finn. If only all my Padawans had been as quick as you." Luke's eyes grew distant and sad for a moment, "Things may well have turned out very differently if that had been the case." He seemed to add to himself.

Finn and Poe headed towards the base, with Luke following behind, "You do know there are all sorts of rumors about us, don't you, Finn?"

Finn looked curiously at Poe, "Rumors? What kind of rumors?"

"You know...the ones that saw we're lovers..."

Finn looked stricken, "No! That's just...Eeeeeew!" He shuddered.

Poe laughed, "Oh, gee; _thanks_. But seriously, people have noticed us disappearing all the time; they assume it's because we're _together_. If you get my meaning."

Luke chuckled, "Well, it seems like your cover story has taken care of itself! I should probably not be seen coming out of the forest _with_ you, or who knows what ideas they'll come up with!" Luke hung back, laughing at the pair.

"You know? Sometimes, I'm just not sure if I like that guy, or hate him," Grumbled Poe.

Just then, several things happened all at once, and very fast. Luke cried out, Finn's head spun as his vision went black, and Poe lunged for his friend as Luke fell to one knee, panting.

Finn came to with Poe supporting his head, "Hey, Luke! He's awake!"

Luke bent over Finn with a look of deep concern on his face, "Finn, what happened? What did you see?  
Finn looked up, confused, "What? You didn't see it?"

Luke shook his head, "No. I just got blindsided by a great disturbance in the Force. Something is terribly, terribly wrong."

Finn stood gingerly, "It's Rey. She's definitely alive, but there's something wrong. I think...I think the First Order found her. We need to get to her. _Now_."

Luke nodded, "You two head for the _Falcon_ ; get Chewie on the way. I'll tell Leia what's happened. Go! Quickly!"

The trio sprinted off in different directions; Finn and Poe quickly found Chewbacca and explained what was going on, being careful to be fuzzy with the details, only saying that they had run into Luke while walking in the woods and _he_ had told them about Rey. Chewie narrowed his eyes, but followed after them anyway. Finn wasn't sure exactly how old Chewbacca was, but he was pretty sure the old Wookie was old enough not to have been fooled by their (admittedly) flimsy story. Finn was also sure, however, that whatever Chewie's opinions were, he'd keep them to himself. He supposed that traveling with Han Solo long enough was bound to have that effect on pretty much anyone. Or maybe it was just the benefit of age; it was a quality that Chewie had shared with Han, not to mention Luke and Leia.

They reached the _Falcon_ before Luke, and Poe prepped her for takeoff. Just as Poe finished inputting the ignition sequence, Luke came bolting up the loading bay, "Good! I see you've got her ready to go. You take co-pilot, Poe; no offense, but I've been flying on this ship since before you were born."

Poe raised his hands in defeat and gave up the pilot's seat. Finn, Poe, Luke, and Chewie buckled in just as Luke fired the engines, and the _Falcon_ shot into the sky. It was only a short trip to the other side of Yavin-4, but to Finn, it felt like an eternity. He couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to her. Finn was fretting and worrying so much that Poe turned in his seat to glare at him, "Okay. If you don't stop freaking out, I'm going to hand over the controls to Chewie so I can come back there and _pummel you_. You are giving me a stomachache! If you don't shut it down, I swear I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Finn's cheeks darkened as he mumbled an apology. Chewie whined softly and laid a gentle paw on Finn's shoulder. Though, "gentle" for a Wookie meant nearly shattering Finn's collarbone. Still, Finn patted the enormous paw and smiled his thanks at the giant. Chewie gave him his warm-eyed Wookie smile, returning his paw to the ever-present bowcaster slung around his mammoth shoulders. Finn focused instead on what he could do; on what he _needed_ to do once they landed. He tried to concentrate on finding Rey _alive_ so he wouldn't drive Poe crazy by bleeding his fretting over their Force-Bond.

At last, Luke put the _Falcon_ down in a small meadow that was barely large enough for the ship, and powered her down as quickly as he dared. The four of them ran for the loading ramp, jamming the button rather harder than was strictly necessary. Luke and Finn had their boots on the ground first, and immediately began searching for Rey's Force-Signature. They found nothing; however, they _did_ find a spot where there was evidence of Force _usage_ , and within the last six days. Finn led the way towards the spot; they found the first body before they reached the clearing; it was a Knight of Ren, and he had very clearly been cut down by a light-saber. The odd thing, however, was that he had been stripped of his robes; his tunic and trousers remained, but the robes had been taken. They found five more bodies, all Knights of Ren, all killed by a light-saber, all stripped of their robes.

At last, they broke through to the clearing; what they found made even _less_ sense to them than the bodies did. They found incontrovertible evidence of a camp. "I'm finding evidence of two people," said Poe, "But one is badly wounded; maybe both. This place looks like it was vacated hastily. Whoever was here, they must have been running from someone. My guess is that one of those two is Rey; who the other might be, I have no idea."

Finn stood, staring down at something just in front of his feet. He stooped to pick it up and turned to Poe, "I think I might have an idea." The item in Finn's hand was nothing other than the mask of Kylo-Ren, himself. "Master Luke, what do you think he wants with Rey?"

Luke pursed his lips, thinking carefully before he answered, "I can't say for sure. I have many theories, but I think I will keep them to myself for the time being."

Finn nodded as Poe and Chewie hunted around the camp for any sign of what might have happened to them. Chewie roared, pointing into the jungle. "Excellent find, old friend!" Exclaimed Luke, "Chewie says it looks like they went this way; one of them was definitely dragged on a sledge."

They hurried into the jungle, looking for any sign of their friend. What they did find, however, was not encouraging. "Oh, no," said Poe quietly, "It looks like whoever's doing the dragging is just as badly wounded as the one being dragged; look – blood on the bushes and the ground. Wait. It looks like they stopped here. They must have tended to their wounds; there's no more blood past this point. It looks pretty fresh, though; we can't be very far behind them."

They hurried forward, following the trail as quickly as they could. Before too much longer, they found further undeniable proof that someone else was, indeed, seeking their quarry. In a massive ring, there lay an entire contingent of Stormtroopers. They looked as though they had died simultaneously form broken necks. Luke sighed, "Well; this explains the disturbance I felt. This is definitely the work of Kylo-Ren. I know of no other with the skill in the Dark Side, or the power to do something like this. It looks like they went that way; come on."

The group hurried forward, growing more and more worried as they went. At last, Poe broke through the trees, far ahead of anyone else. " _Damn_ it!" They heard him curse.

"What is it..." Finn faltered, unable to finish his question, as he burst through the trees behind his friend. Here was the proof they sought; their friend had found a shuttle, or had at least been dragged onto one by Kylo-Ren. "No..." whispered Finn.

Luke sat quickly on the ground, extending his mind through the Force; he sighed as he resurfaced, "There's nothing. Neither Rey nor Kylo-Ren is on Yavin-4 anymore. However, I _can_ say that they managed to make it to hyperspace. How long they _stayed_ there, however, I cannot say. I think they were ambushed as they left Yavin-4, which could very well have damaged their hyperdrive. If that is the case, who knows where they could have ended up. Of one thing I am fairly certain, however; whatever it is that Kylo-Ren wants with Rey, I don't think he wants her dead, or we would have found her body among the others back there. Come; we must return to base and report our findings to my sister." With that, the would-be-rescuers made their way back to the _Falcon_ , each feeling rather crestfallen.

***Author's Note***

Well, I hope that was fun. I surely enjoyed writing it! Oh, I'm really liking writing this story. I hope you lot are liking it, too. Well, as always, let me know what you think in the reviews section, and thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

***Author's Note***

Okay, so here we go! This chapter's got it all: angst, humor, and even a little bit of lemon-y goodness! Okay, it's admittedly a _very_ little lemon, but it's there! I hope you enjoy!

***End Note***

The short flight back to base was a quiet one. Luke, Finn, and Poe were all occupied with their own thoughts, fears, and suspicions about what had happened to Rey. One way or the other, it was clear to all of them that she was with Kylo-Ren. Finn gnawed at his bottom lip, worrying. What if Rey needed him, and he wasn't there for her? He couldn't stop the constant stream of nightmare scenarios that ran constantly through his head; it was as though someone had left a hellish holocron running, and Finn couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Poe turned in his seat to glance worriedly at Finn. Finn ignored him and kept staring out the cockpit view panels.

At long last, the torturous journey ended as they landed back at base. Waiting at the bottom of the loading ramp, they found General Organa, looking tense. She glanced at their faces and said, "Well, judging from your woebegone expressions, I'm going to hazard a guess that you did not return with Rey. However, given that no one seems particularly devastated, I assume that she _is_ alive."

Luke nodded, "It would appear so. There's more, though; we should discuss this in private." Leia nodded and gestured for them to follow her. They entered the compound, following her all the way to her personal quarters. Finn and Poe glanced around, obviously uncomfortable. Luke, however, being well-used-to his sister's private chambers, plopped into a comfortable armchair, steepling his fingers together with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. Leia raised an eyebrow, and Luke continued, "As I said; there seems to be far more to this situation than meets the eye. We found incontrovertible evidence that she appears to be with Kylo-Ren. Furthermore, it would seem that he is _protecting_ Rey. We found an entire contingent of Stormtroopers with their necks snapped simultaneously. I'm not sure what he wants with her, but he does not seem to want her dead...at least, not _yet_." Leia's brow furrowed. "It gets worse; they both seem to be terribly injured. One seems to be so badly off that they have to be dragged on some kind of sledge; though which one, I cannot tell. Leia, you and I both know what that means; one of them is so badly injured that the Force can do little or nothing to help them."

Luke paused as the implications of his statement seeped through the room. "I'm pretty sure they're both alive, Leia. We both would feel it if one of them died. What remains is for us to figure out where they got to. They couldn't have made it very far. They're not on Yavin-4 anymore, but they _did_ manage to enter hyperspace before an enemy pilot got off a lucky shot. There is one question I have, though: Why would Kylo-Ren attack his own men? I have no answer for it. I will meditate on this; Finn, it looks like you have some unexpected free time on your hands. Enjoy it while it lasts." Luke smiled briefly at Finn before his face settled again into a thoughtful expression. He squeezed his sister's arm gently with his right hand before walking slowly out of Leia's rooms and into the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest and his head lowered thoughtfully.

"The two of you may go," Leia said to Finn and Poe, her expression troubled. The pair saluted neatly before turning on their heels and hurrying from the room.

Finn turned excitedly to Poe, "I haven't had an evening off since we got here! What do you want to do?" Finn felt Poe's sudden guilt across their Bond.

"Finn, I'm really sorry; I already made plans tonight. _Gorgeous_ redheaded pilot. You know what they say about redheads and their tempers; I'd be nuts to cancel on her. I'm sorry, buddy; if I'd known you were going to have the night off, I wouldn't have made plans. Are you gonna be okay?"

Finn could sense Poe's anticipation, and he knew Poe would cancel if he asked him to, so he smiled, "Yeah, I'll be fine. You go enjoy yourself."

Poe grinned at his friend, "You're the best, buddy! You've got full run of all my datapads and holocron-vids, if you want. Hey, I'd better go get ready; thanks again, Finn!" Poe took off like a shot, leaving Finn alone. Finn sighed and headed towards the Mess Hall. Looking around, he could not find any familiar faces, so he grabbed a tray, filled it with food, and sat at a table by himself, listening to the buzz of chatter and activity around him. Trying to keep from feeling depressed, Finn tried distracting himself with planning out his evening. Finn decided he was in no mood for a holocron-vid, so he decided that he's spend his evening reading. Finn glanced up from his food when two young Resistance Fighters stopped at his table, smirking and laughing nastily."

"So, where's your boyfriend? You know, that Dameron asshole? Did he leave you for another piece of ass? Aw, poor little Stormtrooper. I'm sure you got plenty of cock with the First Order. Matter of fact, why don't you go back where you came from? You're not wanted here, you fucking traitor."

Finn felt his temper begin to rise and checked it viciously; he could really hurt these two idiots if he lost control. Instead, his appetite thoroughly ruined, Finn gathered up his tray full of uneaten food, handing it to a nearby droid. As he turned to walk away, thy laughed and taunted him further, "Yeah, that's right! Run away, coward! Just like you ran from the First Order! Run away, little faggot!"

Finn felt his neck and cheeks go hot with rage, but did not turn around. He instead walked faster, leaving the Hall without looking back. Unknown to him, many people had overheard the confrontation, and were greatly impressed with his reaction. No one could doubt he was angry, but he had not returned the insults, nor lashed out physically. After Finn had left, many of the onlookers spoke up in Finn's defense. He had made an incredibly positive impression without even knowing it. In fact, there were a few that had seen him fight at Maz Kanada's palace, and again on _Starkiller_. Of those that had seen his injuries, non had a question as to his bravery, and said so. The next time those two unsavory characters decided to pick a fight with Finn, many decided that he would not be alone.

But Finn knew nothing of this as he headed towards the quarters that he and Poe shared, feeling dejected. He walked in, glancing around for something to read. Luckily, Poe was an organized soul, which suited Finn fine. Finn knew that Poe had a far more elaborate library back on D'Qar, but there were enough datapads here to keep Finn busy for days. He took a few out, trying to decide on one. He'd never had so much reading material before; it was a bit overwhelming. Finally he settled on one; it was an adventurous tale of a Jedi and the friends that helped him along his way. Finn couldn't help but notice the irony that _this_ was the story he'd settled on and smiled to himself.

He'd been reading for a couple of hours when he found himself abruptly distracted. Finn began to wonder what Poe was up to. Suddenly, he was not looking through his own eyes anymore.

 _Poe moaned gently as he sank into the beautiful redhead beneath him, fondling her voluptuous breasts softly. She moaned in response as Poe's hips began to move against her own. He kissed her vigorously, using the thumb of his right hand to gently caress her nub. The woman's back arched in ecstasy as she cried out into Poe's mouth. He drove himself harder and faster into the woman until at last, they fell into release together._

Finn rocketed back to himself, confused and embarrassed. _What the hell was that!?_ He thought, bewildered. As if the situation wasn't bad enough, Finn was further embarrassed to find he had grown hard in response to what he had seen. He could only assume that this... _vision_...had come to him through the Force-Bond that he shared with Poe. Finn was so hard by now that it was painful, so he cast his mind about, looking for Poe; he was still in the redhead's room, so Finn undid his trousers and took hold of his own erection, stroking it slowly. He hadn't done this very often, so it was still fairly new to him, and he relished the sensation. It wasn't long before Finn's back arched and he muffled a cry as he reached his own climax. He rose and changed into some loose trousers for sleeping in, hiding his soiled trousers in the bottom of the hamper that held his dirty clothes.

Just then, he sensed Poe returning. He rushed to his bed and rested his bare back against the wall with the borrowed datapad in his lap. The door swooshed open and Poe walked in, looking very satisfied with himself. "So, did you enjoy yourself?"

Poe smirked, "Yeah; she's a nice girl. She seems intelligent. We talked for a good long while; I like her well enough."

Finn snorted, "Well, I should hope so! 'Talked,' my ass! I don't suppose you happen to know anything about Force-Bonds?" Poe's eyes narrowed as he shook his head, "Well, let me enlighten you. As deep and strong as our Bond is, we can feel each others' emotions...especially the stronger ones.." Poe's face paled and then flushed as he considered what Finn was saying. "I felt _everything_ you felt; I saw a good deal more than I wanted to, as well."

Poe's mouth fell open and his eyes popped wide, "Holy shit."

Finn chuckled, "That's all you've got? Wow. You're slipping in your old age, buddy. You should see the look on your face, though. You look like you just swallowed a _shit_ load of live fish!"

Poe began to chuckle along with Finn, "Go ahead an laugh, smartass. I'm sure you enjoyed it. You haven't been laid since you woke up, but then you only want the one woman. Me, I want as many as I can get until I find the right one."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Actually, can I tell you a secret?" Poe nodded as he kicked off his boots and took off his tunic and trousers before stepping into his loose sleeping trousers. "Okay; don't laugh, and don't tell anybody, okay? I'm...I'm a virgin, actually."

Poe's eyes about popped out of his head this time, "So, you saw...and you felt...Oh, buddy, I'm so sorry." The effect was ruined by the shit-eating grin on Poe's face and the high-pitched giggle that broke from behind his clenched teeth.

"Okay, laugh it up. Go on; have a good laugh at my expense." Finn began to chuckle, and before long, both dissolved into hysterical laughter. At last, as they dried their eyes on their sheets, Poe glanced over at Finn. "Seriously, though; I'm sorry, buddy. If I'd had any idea..."

Finn waved Poe off, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it won't be the last time."

Poe snorted out a laugh, "It's just good to hear you being a wise ass again. You've been way too serious since you woke up from your coma. I've missed this."

Finn smiled as he slid under his blankets, "Shut up and go to sleep, Dameron. I'm exhausted." Poe smirked as he shut off the lights and they both drifted off to sleep.

***Author's Note***

Hope you enjoyed the lemon! I really had a good time writing this chapter. More will come soon!


	5. Chapter 5

***Author's Note***

Okay, in this chapter we see a pretty badass Finn! Oh, boy, this chapter was fun to write! Hope you enjoy!

***End Note***

When Finn woke the next morning, Poe was still sleeping soundly, so Finn got up, took a quick turn in the 'fresher, threw on his clothes, and headed for the Mess Hall. Finn found that he was famished, and given that he'd barely eaten any dinner, he wasn't surprised. Not wanting a repeat of the scene from the night before, Finn paused outside the Hall and extended his consciousness as Master Luke had taught him, looking for the two men from last night. Much to his relief, Finn found no sign of them. He sighed gratefully and walked through the door.

Those closest to the door turned at his entrance and grew suddenly quiet, then leaned in to their fellows, whispering madly. At many of the tables Finn passed, he noticed the same reaction, and many called out to him, saying, "Morning, Finn". He shrugged to himself, _probably just more rumors_ , he thought as he picked up a tray and selected his breakfast. He was halfway through a Corellian apple when Poe entered the Mess Hall. The tables nearest him glanced up, then the occupants surged toward him, chattering wildly. Poe listened intently as the crowd gestured to Finn. Poe glanced over, catching Finn's gaze; Poe's eyes narrowed. Poe held up his hands, calming the crowd, as he quickly extricated himself from their midst and filled his own breakfast tray.

When Poe reached their table, he slammed the tray down but did not sit. He continued to stand, one hand on his hip, the other on the table as he glared down at Finn, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Confused at his friend's reaction, Finn ventured a cautions, "Morning, Poe."

Poe's eyes narrowed, 'Morning, Poe.' That's all you've got? 'Morning, Poe'? When were you going to tell about what happened last night?"

Understanding dawned on Finn like a lightning Strike, "Ah," was all he could think to say, "that."

Poe nodded, obviously irritated, "Yes. That. What the hell, Finn? Did you think I wouldn't have your back? You're my best friend, Finn!" Poe's voice had risen until was red in the face and bellowing. Faces turned in their direction from all over the Mess Hall, listening.

Finn raised his hands defensively as he stood to face Poe, "Take it easy, Poe! Of course I know you've got my back. How could I not? You've stood by me for the last six months when I could do absolutely nothing! You have never once questioned my loyalty, even though you would have had every reason to. You're my Bond-Brother, and I would never doubt you. There are two reasons I didn't tell you: First, I didn't want to upset you after your date last night, and second, I was slightly distracted last night."

Poe's posture relaxed, and some of his anger dissipated. "Okay, well that I can understand, but why didn't you stand up for yourself? You are probably the best shot in the whole damn Resistance! You could have taken those punks with both hands tied behind your back!"

Finn nodded; Poe had just proven Finn's point, but he didn't know it yet, "Exactly. That's exactly _why_ I did nothing. I could have seriously hurt them, or even killed them with very little effort. I just didn't think it was worth it. They may be assholes, but they don't deserve to be badly injured because of it, so I walked away." Finn shrugged, dismissing the matter.

Poe shook his head in wonder, "Well, then you're a far better man than I am. I would have completely _thrashed_ them. You have ridiculous control of your temper. Just tell me next time, okay? I'll be sure to be with you next time."

Finn cleared his throat, "Well, here's your chance; they just walked in."

Poe's eyes narrowed as he turned to look, "I can't stand those two. They think just because they have rich daddies who donate massive amounts of credits to the Resistance that their shit doesn't stink, and they can do whatever they want. They're of the opinion that they're better than anyone here." Finn and Poe quickly returned to their seats, giving off a casual air as the two in question sauntered up to their table, snickering.

"Oh, look; your fuck buddy's back. Were you lonely all night? Poor little Stormtrooper." The people nearby shifted in their seats to watch, every one ready to jump in if necessary. Finn cast a quick thought at Poe, _They're intent on violence; it's dominant in their minds. If it_ _ **does**_ _get violent, let me handle it_. Poe glanced at Finn out of the corner of his eye and nodded imperceptibly.

"We told you last night, faggot, we don't want you here. _Nobody_ wants you here." No one but Finn noticed one of the men take a small knife from his jacket pocket while the other strapped on a nasty set of brass knuckles. Finn could feel their resolve; he remained deceptively casual as they took offensive positions, one on each side. Under the table, Finn carefully drew up his legs and braced them on the table's legs, ready for the attack. Poe felt Finn's mood shift and slowly stood, backing away and signaling the crow to do nothing.

Three things happened simultaneously: First, Finn pushed off, hard, against the table-legs, flipping his chair over backwards and continuing the roll so he ended up on his feet in fighting-stance. Second, Knife lunged where Finn's neck had been, only seconds before. And third, Brass Knuckles swung hard for where Finn's face had been.

Finn waited as things quickly went wrong for them. Brass Knuckles had been on Finn's right; the knife barely caught him in the cheek. Knife was carried forward by his lunge and got the brass knuckles straight in the face. Whoops, cheers, and laughter rang through the Mess Hall as the fight drew attention.

"Now, if you'll stop and listen for one moment, I have no desire to hurt either of you."

Neither man seemed to be in the mood to talk, however, as they moved in to attack again. Finn ran backwards a few steps, keeping both weapons in sight. He stopped suddenly, dropping to the floor and sweeping his right leg in a wide arc across the floor, knocking both men's feet out from underneath them. Knife managed to regain his feet first and lunged at Finn again. Finn was ready, though, and he twisted _into_ the man's attack as he grabbed hold of the man's wrist, immobilizing the knife, and driving his left elbow up, hard, into Knife's face. Finn twisted then, whipping his right leg backwards in a vicious mule-kick, which landed squarely in Brass Knuckles' gut, dropping him to the ground, clutching his stomach and gasping. Finn whipped back around, driving his right hand, palm up, into Knife's elbow, snapping it and forcing him to drop the knife.

Finn dropped his opponent's wrist then and turned to walk back to Poe and finish his breakfast; the whole fight had taken maybe five minutes. Several cries of "Watch out!" rang through the Mess Hall as Knife and Brass Knuckles both drew their blasters and aimed at Finn. Neither man had the chance to fire, however, as their blasters jumped suddenly from their grasp and flew towards none other than Luke Skywalker, who was looking grim. His twin stood beside him, looking like she was ready to tear someone to pieces.

The entire Hall sprang suddenly to attention, making a walkway for the legendary Jedi and General Organa. Finn started to speak, "General, I..." Leia held up a hand, forestalling his apology.

"You are not to blame, Finn. These two are. I saw the whole thing; don't bother to deny it. Two _armed_ men against one _unarmed_ , peaceful man. Do you really think I would bring Finn along as my _personal bodyguard_ without good reason!? Stormtroopers are trained from _birth_ in the ancient martial arts; everyone knows that. I had heard of the incident last night, only I'd hoped it was only rumor. You two will be locked in the brig until further notice. If you so much as _think_ about attacking this man again, I will see to it personally that you are beaten to within an inch of your lives; if Finn doesn't beat me to it! You! Get them out of here!" The two men she had indicated leaped forward and dragged Knife and Brass Knuckles out of the Hall, kicking and screaming. Leia sighed, "Well, for what it's worth, I'm proud of you, Finn. You simply defended yourself; no more, no less. You _could_ have killed them very quickly and easily, as we both know, but you didn't. Well done, Finn."

The Mess Hall exploded into cheers and applause, and Finn heard Luke's thought, _Well done, young Padawan. You didn't need to resort to the Force at all. Excellent. You defeated your enemies and still kept your cover. I am very proud._ Finn glanced over at his Master and smiled, bowing his head slightly. Luke and Leia turned as one, sweeping out of the Hall as quickly as they had appeared, leaving the crowd to surge around Finn, clapping him on the back and congratulating him for shutting their obnoxious mouths. Poe was grinning widely when Finn finally made it back to their table and sat to finish his breakfast at last.

"Wow. That was, um...well, it was pretty badass, to be honest. I'm impressed; I didn't know you could fight like _that_! Now I know what you mean when you say killing them would have been easy to do. Hmph. Well, I think you've officially secured a reputation for yourself in the Resistance! Well done, buddy. Well done."

Finn grinned back at his brother, "Thanks, Poe. I have to admit...It _was_ kinda fun kicking their asses. Did you _see_ how that guy's arm bent!?" Finn and Poe stared at each other for a moment before snorting into their breakfasts, laughing. "I am glad you were with me, Poe. Thanks for standing by me."

Poe rolled his eyes, "Don't worry about it. Just try not to make a habit of it, okay?" The pair continued to banter back and forth as they finished their meal. Standing, they each handed their now-empty trays to a passing service droid and sauntered out of the Hall, each with an arm around the other's shoulders as they headed towards the jungle for Finn's next lesson.

***Author's Note***

Well, that's Karma in action if ever I've seen it! The purpose of this chapter is really to forge a reputation for Finn within the Resistance as a skilled fighter, but not one that goes further than absolutely necessary. Hope you liked it, especially the fight scene! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

***Author's Note***

Plot-heavy chapter, here; now we begin to see Finn's fate unfold! Woooo!

***End Note***

When Finn and Poe reached the trees, they headed for the usual meadow that Luke chose for Finn's lessons. They found him standing across from Leia, the pair obviously in the midst of quite the argument. "Leia, I said he's not ready. He can't handle this kind of mission yet; it's too soon in his training!"

Leia shook her head stubbornly, "No, I don't think so. You and I just watched the very same thing. He's _been_ ready, Luke. It's you that isn't ready."

Luke massaged the bridge of his nose with his left hand, "Leia. He hasn't even crafted his first light-saber yet! How can you possibly be so willing to send him out?"

Leia sighed with aggravation, "First, because I know Poe will go with him. Second, because I have no other choice! I need his skills, Luke. We are in dire need, and you and your kind are the only ones who can help us. I refuse to risk you, just when we have a potential advantage, and he is more than ready to serve the Resistance! You remember what it was like to be his age, and ready to pack your things to fly off and be a pilot for the Rebel Alliance. This is no different! Imagine how he must be feeling; the woman he's half in love with is who-knows-where with the man that wants us all dead! He feels useless, Luke. You've got to let him go."

Luke kicked at the ground in a rare show of temper, "Leia, you have no clue what you're asking of him. This could all go terribly, terribly wrong! What if he dies? What if _Poe_ dies? You know what that does to someone, losing their Bond-Mate, be it a romantic bond or not! You've seen it, first hand! Hell, you've _felt_ it when Han died! Think, Leia; he's a _person_ , not a number on a datapad!"

Leia had heard enough without thinking, she reared back and slapped her brother across the face. Shock ran over both of their faces before Leia's eyes abruptly filled with tears, "Oh, Luke; I'm so sorry. I hate thinking about Han; it's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked him to bring our son home."

Luke sighed impatiently. "Now you sound like me. Leia, I'm not angry. I pushed you too far; I'm sorry." Suddenly, Luke's head snapped up, "Well, why don't we ask Poe and Finn ourselves? They're standing on the other side of the meadow, anyway."

With that, the twins turned to Finn and Poe, who were standing, watching the confrontation with bemused expressions on their faces. Finn stepped forward, eyeing his Master speculatively before saying hesitantly, "If it's all the same to you, Master Luke, I'd like to hear what the General has to say."

Luke sighed and gestured for Finn to go ahead. Leia smiled gently and began, "This mission calls for the greatest of tact and discretion; perfect for a Jedi who hasn't got a light-saber yet. I need someone to sniff out a traitor. We have a secondary Central Command through which passes all of our plans, details of attacks, our military strength, and our monetary holdings. We have a number of operations that the First Order would love to destroy. Somehow, they seem to be undercutting us financially. Every time there is a mining operation we are interested in, the First Order gets to it first and offers far more credits than we have to offer. Every time I turn around, they've beaten us to another opportunity. Don't look at me that way. There's more than one way to fight a war, Finn; without credits, there is little that we can do. We _must_ find some constant, reliable forms of funding ourselves. Now that the Senate has been destroyed, we have lost the majority of our most important financial backers. What I need from you is to go to Central Command as my official...liaison. While there, you will test out the minds of all present and find our mole. Once you have found the mole, contact me with their identity, and based on that information, I will give a figure that I want you to offer. Now, the First Order usually offers a good one hundred thousand credits more than we do; the figure I will give you is the _true_ figure you are authorized to offer. The two of you (since I can't see one of you going without the other) will have to use your wits to figure out the appropriate offer to lure our mole into giving an offer we can easily counter. If you are agreeable, you will leave within the week."

Finn and Poe gazed at each other for a long moment, communicating silently in a way that only those with a deep Force-Bond could. They stood reading each others' feelings on the situation, as well as the thoughts that passed between the two men. At long last, Finn turned to the General, shooting his Master an apologetic glance, he responded, "General, we would be honored to serve you in this mission. However, I would feel far safer if I at least had a light-saber for if things _really_ get nasty. I think I've proven that I can usually fight my way out of nasty situations without resorting to using the Force or any Jedi tactics, but I would still feel better."

Luke had opened his mouth to speak but it snapped shut again when his twin cleared her throat awkwardly, "Actually...I might be able to help with that. I've been...collecting Jedi artifacts, which includes the components for crafting light-sabers, just in case they were ever needed again. I have everything you will need; if one of my crystals will call to you, that is."

Luke's eyebrows shot up as he stared at his sister in surprise, "Wow. Just when I think you can't possibly surprise me any further, you go and prove me wrong. Huh. Well, if that's the case, and we have approximately a week to give him _some_ training, at least, this could actually work. I will provide you with some datapads and holocrons from the Archives for you to study while you are on assignment; they have always proven useful for me. What do you say, Finn?"

Finn's face lit up with excitement, "Of course, Master! I would be...beyond honored...to receive such training from you!"

"Well, then; lead the way, Leia. You've been holding out on me. I suppose next, you'll tell me you have an entire planet full of Younglings ready for training?"

Leia flushed, "Well, actually...we _have_ been keeping tabs on a number of potential candidates, just in case you did come back. We have all of their information, if you want to look at it."

Luke's jaw unhinged slightly, "Yeah, that'd be nice, thanks," he said weakly, then cleared his throat, "Well. You've certainly been busy, haven't you?" He and Leia chuckled.

At last, they reached an area that was deemed off-limits to all personnel, save those with the highest-level clearance; perhaps ten people had clearance in the entire Resistance. Leia, of course, was immediately admitted, as well as those with her, regardless of clearance. Leia led them through the aisles op Jedi artifacts until, at last, they reached a small section. Nearly instantaneously, Finn felt a quiet call, almost too quiet to be heard. At first, he tried to ignore it, but the silent summons was not to be denied. It grew more and more insistent until Finn found himself being drawn forward in the direction of the call. The others followed him in silence, Poe feeling no small amount of wonder. At last, Finn stopped, staring at a medium-sized crystal. "This one," he whispered, almost to himself. He reached out to take it, and the crystal rushed into his hand, as though magnetized.

They gathered up the other components that Finn would need, and the group left the storage building, as quickly as they had entered, and with as little explanation to the guards. Though, the guards had been instructed not to ask questions, and did their jobs well. "You'll want to find somewhere comfortable, Finn; probably your quarters, where you won't be disturbed. You need first to infuse your crystal with the Force; this can take many days. Once I sense that this had been done, I will come to you to instruct you on the completion of your saber." At this, Luke and Leia went one way, while Finn and Poe headed towards their quarters.

Once they were safely inside, Finn took his crystal out of his jacket pocket and settled onto the floor, "Now, remember; Luke said this could take days, so make sure I'm not disturbed or discovered, okay?"

Poe nodded, "Good luck, Finn." Finn smiled and laid his crystal on the floor in front of his crossed legs before settling into a trance, where he could better commune with the Force. At once, Finn's crystal floated into the air before Finn, and Poe watched in astonishment as the crystal immediately began to glow a startling shade of silver. Poe knew Finn would be unreachable for quite some time, so he settled onto his bed with a datapad, content to wait for his friend to be conscious again. All Poe could feel coming from Finn was complete and utter peace; it was contagious. As Finn's peace flooded Poe through their Force-Bond, Poe thought that maybe this whole Bond thing wasn't so bad, after all.

***Author's Note***

Hmmm. Lovely chapter! Loads of lovely, lovely plot! Not too many epic moments, but more will come, promise. There is more lemon in the future, too, so don't worry about that! Finn won't stay a virgin forever, lol.


	7. Chapter 7

***Author's Note***

I know, this one took a while to put up; sorry! So, this chapter's pretty cool, I think. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

***End Note***

Three days later, Poe was sitting on his bed reading, the datapad balanced on his knees while Finn meditated. Still. The only change Poe could see was in the crystal. It had broken into a dozen pieces, each glowing a strong, vibrant silver-blue. The sense of peace continued to bleed through to Poe; he had been careful to keep from doing anything that might disrupt Finn, being especially careful to stay away from the ladies. He didn't mind, though. It was worth it to be in this aura of peace. If this was how it felt to use the Force, Poe almost wished he had the talent, himself. _Almost_. He wasn't prepared to give up women.

No, Poe was more content to be backup for a Jedi, rather than being one himself. But still; what kid grew up in this galaxy _not_ daydreaming about becoming a Jedi? Poe glanced up at a soft beep at the door. He stood, crossing quietly to the door, going over in his head the same story he'd been using for days: Finn was ill and couldn't leave their quarters. With Leia backing his story, no one questioned him when he took extra food to their room now and then. When he opened the door, however, he found Luke standing on the other side. He waved Luke in silently, waiting for the door to slide shut before speaking, "He's not done yet, but you're welcome to stay, if you'd like."

Luke smiled knowingly at the talented young pilot and answered, just as quietly, "Give him a minute or two. He'll resurface shortly. You'll learn how to read his emotions; it's inevitable with your Bond. Ash. Here he comes," Luke moved to sit across from Finn as the young man stirred, brushing Finn's mind with his own so he would expect Luke's presence. Slowly, Poe felt Finn coming back to himself; it reminded him uncomfortably of when Finn came out of his coma. Poe shivered slightly at the memory.

At last, Finn's eyelids fluttered and opened. He stared blearily across at Luke, then looked sideways at Poe. Poe smiled and picked up the tray of food he'd brought in for Finn earlier that day, laying it down beside Finn. Finn smiled weakly as he reached for the food, utterly famished. Poe chuckled at the gust with which Finn was eating. Within fifteen minutes, Finn had completely emptied the tray (which had been overflowing) and drained the jug of water that Poe brought over for him. Poe arched a sarcastic eyebrow, "Hungry, were you?"

Finn chuckled as he stretched carefully, cognizant of the fact that he'd been perfectly still for... "How long _was_ I out, anyway?"

Poe smiled, "Three days, buddy. No wonder you ate like a starving man! Careful getting up; here, let me help you." Poe reached a hand out to help Finn to his feet, which Finn accepted gratefully, hissing and swaying slightly as disused muscles stretched and popped. He grunted as he arched his back; loud popping sounds echoed through the room as pressure was relieved in his spine. Poe smirked, "Dang. That sounded like it either felt really good or hurt really badly."

Finn chuckled, "Bit of both, really." He responded, grinning at his friend. "So. I'm going to assume you brought the rest of the items I need?"

Luke smiled, his eyes twinkling, "Eager, aren't we? All the better, I suppose. The sooner you finish your light-saber, the more time we have for training." He proceeded to produce a medium-sized hip pouch from under his cloak and handed it to Finn.

Finn opened the pouch carefully, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. Inside the pouch was a collection of light-saber parts. He sorted through the hills, finally settling on a silver hilt that was accented with black. For the next three hours, Finn painstakingly assembled his light-saber; he carefully sifted through his crystal shards before choosing the two best to place into the crystal chambers. At long last, with a series of metallic clicks, Finn finally completed assembling his light-saber. Finn stood, a look of shocked wonder in his eyes. "When do we start, Master?"

Luke chuckled, "We can start right now. Meet me at the meadow; I look forward to seeing what you can do, now that you have a light-saber of your own." He left for the the meadow with a new spring in his step.

Finn turned to Poe as the door slid shut. "I know I'm supposed to go straight to the meadow, but I have _got_ to take a turn in the 'fresher; I've been sitting there for three days. Even if I wasn't sweating, I still feel nasty."

Poe chuckled, "Yeah, I totally understand that. Go ahead; I'll wait for you."

Finn thumped Poe on the shoulder before he turned and walked to the 'fresher to undress, grabbing a fresh set of clothes on the way. He scrubbed his teeth thoroughly, then stripped to the skin, stepping under the nozzle. He turned the temperature on high, sighing under the steaming spray. Finn looked up into the spray, letting it wash over his face, neck, shoulders, and chest. Turning around, he sighed again as the spray pounded his back, relaxing the muscles there. Finn grabbed some soap and scrubbed himself clean. He turned again and let the water sluice the soap down his back and legs. Finally, refreshed and gunk-free, Finn stepped out and threw on his fresh clothes, tucking his new light-saber into a hidden pocket inside his jacket and left the bathroom.

Poe looked up as Finn re-entered the room. "Ready?" he asked. At Finn's nod, Poe stood and the pair exited the room. They headed directly for the meadow, not stopping to chat with the many people that shouted out a "hello". They broke through the trees to find that Luke had already sunk into a light meditation while waiting for them.

Finn sensed Luke's intentions and shoved Poe out of the way, just in time to roll to the right, himself, as Luke leaped at Finn, activating his light-saber in mid-air. Finn sprung up from his roll, drawing his light-saber out from his coat. He activated the silver blade and brought it up just in time to block Luke's saber, noticing that it curved elegantly to a gentle point. Luke sprung back, swinging viciously for Finn's knees, putting Finn on the defensive again. Over and over, Luke forced Finn to defend, giving him no opportunity to mount his own attack. At last, Luke stepped into Finn's light-saber and swung his elbow up, hard, into Finn's face. When Finn stumbled back, Luke swung his light-saber around to stop mere inches from Finn's neck; he could feel the heat of the blade against his skin.

Luke lowered his blade, gazing at his Padawan, "That was very well done, for your first lesson. I wouldn't normally begin your lessons like this, but as we have very little time, I thought it best. Now, this time, try to get in some attacks of your own. Ready yourself." With that, Luke lunged at Finn, beginning his assault again. By the end of the afternoon, Finn was panting with effort, sweat pouring down his face, chest, and back; he had shed his tunic early on to combat the humid heat of the jungle. Luke had, once again, defeated Finn. Although, this time, Finn had managed to mount some sort of counter-attack. Luke nodded to himself as he observed his Padawan, "That was much better, Finn. You're improving rapidly. Meet me here again in the morning, and we will continue."

Finn had to refrain from groaning in answer. Poe walked over to him, grinning, "You got your _ass_ handed to you."

Finn growled at his friend, "Shut up, Poe. I hurt all over. I haven't hurt his badly since I was in training as a kid. I must look a mess. I need another turn in the 'fresher. For once, I'm glad ours uses water, rather than sonic. I need the spray to loosen these knots in my back. And shoulders. And neck. And I think you get my point. People are _really_ going to start talking now; they'll be wondering why I'm all beat up, and you're not."

Poe chuckled, "They'll think we're having a lovers' spat. I don't really mind, though; it helps to keep your cover." Finn paused before they exited the tree line, drawing on the Force, trying to wash away the pain. "Whoa; what'd you do? You look better. It doesn't look so much like you got your ass handed to you now."

Finn smiled, "Good; Master Luke mentioned that a Jedi can heal themselves and others using the Force, so I thought I'd try it. This should help with keeping my cover; less questions. I left the soreness, though."

Poe raised an eyebrow, "Handy. That's gonna be useful in future. Alright; lets get you cleaned up, then we'll head to the Mess Hall for dinner."

The remaining four days flew by, following the same pattern. Finn would rise in the morning, take a quick turn in the 'fresher, and meet Luke at the meadow for an all-day training session. As the days went on, Finn's skill grew until he could actually win a few matches with Luke. Luke seemed very pleased with Finn's progress. On the final day of training, Luke called an early end to their sparring. "You have done incredibly well, young Padawan. I must confess that even I was skeptical when we started; I thought perhaps I was being too...ambitious. It usually takes months or years of training to reach the level you're at now. Here," Luke walked to the edge of the meadow, picking up a satchel and handing it to Finn. "Inside, you will find various datapads and holocrons detailing different light-saber techniques and fighting styles. I want you to practice with them, every chance you get. They will help you to increase your skill. I am very proud of you, Finn. You'd better get some rest; Leia will want the two of you to leave at first light, I'm sure."

Finn bowed to his Master, "Thank you, Master Luke. I will do my best to continue making you proud." As Finn and Poe left the meadow, Finn could not help feeling a sense of anticipation mixed with nervousness. "Well, it's been a nice rest; tomorrow, it's back to work."

Poe smiled grimly, "Yeah; I almost got used to nobody trying to kill me. Ah, well. It couldn't last forever. At least I'm not gonna be in this alone, though; I feel a lot better knowing that you'll be there to have my back." The pair returned to their quarters with an arm slung around each others' shoulders, where they intended to make the most of their last few hours of quiet before they had to leave for their mission in the morning.

***Author's Note***

Yaaaay! Mission time! This is gonna be fun. ^_^


	8. Chapter 8

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, everyone! Okay, so in this chapter, we find Finn and Poe _finally_ on their way! Yaaay! This is gonna be fun! Hopefully I'll get some longer chapters up later, yeah? Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn and Poe woke early the next morning and packed enough clothes for at least two weeks. Tossing their packs across their backs, they trudged blearily out of their room to grab a quick breakfast. Glancing out a window, Finn groaned when he realized the sun had not yet risen. They grabbed a couple of trays and sat at a table by themselves, saying little. They glanced up in surprise as General Organa set her tray down and sat across from them.

"Good morning, gentlemen; good to know you're already raring to go. The two of you are going to take the _Falcon_ to Naboo, as it's the fastest ship in the galaxy. Chewie will go with you, both as co-pilot and as security detail. I asked him last night if he would go with you; he was happy to have something to do. Also, BB-8 will be going with you' he'll be useful in a dozen ways at least, I'm sure. The _Falcon_ is already fueled and provisioned' she's ready to go when you two are. I'm sure Chewie's already on board, doing the finals checks before takeoff. Also, I've wired a large number of credits to both of your accounts to cover any expenses you might incur; there may be some greasing of palms required, as well. Well, I think you two are about as ready as you'll ever be; good luck, and May the Force be with you."

With that, the General stood and handed her now-empty tray to a passing service droid, leaving them to finish their breakfast in peace. Finn and Poe stared after the older woman, not quite sure what to make of her. Poe shook his head, "She may be a former princess, but the woman eats like a career soldier!"

Finn chuckled, "Well, I guess she's used to a certain pace. But it is wholly unnatural for anyone to be _that_ awake at _this_ hour. It's kinda comforting knowing that Chewbacca is coming with us; at least we won't have to worry about security. Who in their right mind would try to break into a ship being guarded by a Wookiee?"

Poe grinned sardonically at his friend, "Well, we'd better hurry up and get to the _Falcon_. I'd hate to be the one to keep a Wookiee waiting..."

Finn shook his head, laughing, "Sometimes, I just don't know where you come up with this shit." They quickly finished heir meal and gathered up their packs, eager to be off. They hurried out of the compound, heading for the landing field. Before long, the _Falcon_ could be seen with Chewie perched on top, working on her. He roared a greeting as Finn and Poe came within earshot.

"Hey there, big guy! Come on down; we're gonna go ahead and get out of here, okay?" Poe shouted up at him, getting another roar in response.

"So, you understand him, too?" At Poe's nod, Finn sighed, "I guess I'm just missing something. At least you can translate for me, though. Maybe I'll star to understand him with time?"  
Poe nodded, "Probably, yeah." They both turned at a series of high-pitched beeps, boops, and whistles, "BB-8! Good to see ya, buddy! Gotta admit, I'm glad you're coming with us. Now, as usual, this is a pretty dangerous mission. Things get rough, you take any data I've given you and make sure it gets to the General, okay?" The little droid ave an approximation of a nod and beeped his assent. "Alright, welcome aboard, then, little buddy!"

BB-8 whirred with delight and sped off through the _Falcon_ , straight past Chewbacca, who huffed out a laugh at the sight of the overly enthusiastic little droid. He roared something to Poe, who turned to translate for Finn. "He said it's good to have a little one on board again, even if it _is_ a droid. He says he pretty much sees BB-8 as a child." Poe and Finn chuckled as Chewie watched them fondly.

After his Life-Friend died, Chewie had worried that he would be alone for the rest of his days, forgotten. But back on _Starkiller_ , he found that he couldn't just leave Finn to die; the man _had_ tended his wounds, after all. He liked Finn; he reminded him of Han, if Chewie was being honest with himself. Then there was the girl; Chewie was very fond of the Jedi-human they called Rey. He was surprised to find that the pain of losing his Life-Friend was beginning to become easier to live with. The young ones were helping; it was easier for Chewie when he was busy. In his experience, looking after humans was plenty of work, especially since these were hardly more than younglings. Chewie knew he still had well over 100 standard years to live, and he though he'd look after Luke's kin during those remaining years. He wasn't as young as he used to be, but he was far from old by his people's standards.

Finn glanced over at Chewie, concern on his face, "Chewie, are you alright? It's just, I can sense a great sadness in you. Is everything okay?"

Chewbacca shot Finn a Wookiee smile and laid a paw as gently as he could on Finn's shoulder before nodding and roaring his response. Poe smiles, "He says he's fin. He just misses his Life-Friend, Han. He says thank you for your concern. Well, if you two are agreeable, I think I'm ready to get the hell out of here and do something _useful_ that's not sitting on my ass or chasing women. Not that I _mind_ chasing women, mind you, but I'm ready to move on, know what I mean?"

Chewie cocked his head and roared softly. Whatever he'd said, Poe spun around, his eyes wide with shock. "Uh, he says...He says not to start our journey with a lie and to tell him everything. He knows you're hiding something from him, and can't help us properly if he doesn't know all the details."

Finn's eyes narrowed; he _knew_ they hadn't fooled the old Wookiee. "Okay; you're right. I haven't been totally honest with you. It's my secret, so _I'll_ tell you. Luke has been training me in the ways of the Force." As evidence, Finn took his light-saber from its hidden pocket and showed it to Chewie. A glint came into the Wookiee's eye and he huffed with what seemed to be satisfaction.

Poe laughed, "He says he had a feeling you were a Jedi-human, as he calls them. He's honored that you trusted him with this secret, and he is proud to serve you."

Finn watched Chewie closely, "Thank you, Chewbacca. I appreciate it, really, but I would never expect you to serve me. I would be much happier to call you my Life-Friend. Besides, you saved my life. If anyone should be serving anybody else, it should be _me_ serving _you_. My people have something called a Life Debt; it is such a debt that I owe you. The nature of a Life Debt is to serve the one who saved your life until such time as you have the chance to return the favor. If you will accept it, I would offer this to you."

Chewie's eyes deepened with emotion as he whined softly. Finn smiled, "You're welcome, buddy. I didn't need a translator for that one," Finn chuckled.

The three walked to the cockpit; Finn sat behind Poe, who took the pilot's seat while Chewie took the co-pilot's seat. Poe quickly punched in the ignition sequence; the _Falcon_ whirred loudly to life as it rose slowly off the ground. Poe angled the _Falcon_ upwards, grinning madly; every time he was grounded for too long, it drove him mad. Flying was like breathing to him. Flying was, perhaps, the only thing that could even begin to compete with women. Okay, maybe not _compete_. Compete was the wrong word. It was more that the pursuit of a woman was the closest thing to the feeling of flying that he could get while he was on the ground. He sighed contentedly as the _Falcon_ broke the atmosphere of Yavin-4.

"Okay, I just have to calculate the jump to hyperspace, and...there. You're good Go wherever you want; only, I don't recommend going outside. It's a bit cold." Finn and Chewie chuckled at Poe's new-found giddiness. The three migrated to the common room, where BB-8 was toying with the Dejarik table. Chewie huffed at Finn, jerking his head towards the table.

Finn chuckled, "Okay, sure; I'll let you teach me. I'm sure you'll kick my ass, anyway. You'd probably like beating someone so easily, wouldn't you?" Finn and Chewie chortled as they took their places at the table. This might not be the worst hyperspace flight Finn had ever endured.

***Author's Note***

I loved writing that moment between Finn and Chewie; poor Chewie. I feel so bad for him, but at least now he's not totally alone! Lots of love, and thanks for reading, as always!


	9. Chapter 9

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, this is the last chapter where our friends will have peace for a little while; after this, things will _really_ get moving! Can't wait to write the next chapter. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn walked back and forth from the common room to the cockpit, gnawing at his cheek. There was something... _off_. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Finn figured it was probably just nerves and decided to look for the Jedi Archive datapads that Luke had said were to be sent with him. Changing course, he headed towards the cargo bay to seek them out. The cargo bay door slid open and to Finn's very great surprise, he found that a great deal of training equipment had been installed, a not sitting on top of the nearest bit of equipment. It read, "For the body, as well as the mind. I figured you'd want more than just stun droids to practice with. - General Leia Organa-Solo." Finn smiled to himself. _Those two don't miss a trick between them, do they? That's one of the benefits of being a twin, I suppose._

The door slid open again behind Finn, and he heard a low whistle, "Wow. Good thing the bay's so big; it looks like a proper Jedi Academy in here. Looks like the control panel's over there," he pointing to the far end of the cargo bay. Finn walked in the direction Poe was pointing. "It's not as big as some of the obstacle courses I've seen, but I think this should help a lot with spacial reckoning when you're using your light-saber." At Finn's confused glance, Poe chuckled and explained, "You run it with your light-saber so you don't wind up cutting off your own hand or something. It gets you used to handling it safely. They use these for training in the use of vibroblades, too."

Finn nodded, "Ah. Looks kinda...fun." He walked to the very back of the bay, where a massive cargo net had been installed to keep the cargo and training areas separated. In a far corner, Finn found an enormous chest emblazoned with the symbol of the Old Republic. He opened it carefully, revealing a treasure trove of datapads and holocrons.

Poe raised an eyebrow at the treasures, "So. Care to try out your new obstacle course? I promise I'll only laugh a little when you screw up." Poe made his eyes go wide and playfully fluttered his eyelashes at Finn.

Finn groaned and swung lightly at Poe, who dodged him, laughing. "Ugh. No. I've had about enough physical training to last me a while. I think I'll take a look at one of these datapads, first. I think I'll start with the course in the morning; I'd like to be fresh the first time I run it."

Poe looked mildly disappointed. "Aw, damn; I was hoping I'd get to watch you fall flat on your face. Ah, well. Let's go find Chewie and see if he'll trounce you at Dejarik. Again.

Finn laughed, "I'd like to see you try playing him! He may look like a giant Ewok, but he's _quick_! He is unbelievably intelligent. Must come with being so damn old. Strategy seems to be second-nature to him."

Poe threw up his hands in defeat, "Alright, alright I get your point! He's not just looks; he's got brains, too." Poe held Finn's gaze for a moment before the both snorted out a laugh, holding on to each others' shoulders for support. Chewie looked up as they entered, smiling at their revelry. He grunted something to Poe, who let out a long-suffering sight, "Oh, alright. My turn to get beat, huh? What would you do without us poor, dumb humans to beat up on?" Chewie huffed out a laugh as he stood and walked over to the Dejarik table.

Finn smiled at his friend's discomfort as he took up a bench to himself, datapad in hand. He immediately became absorbed by the material; it was fascinating. Finn had no idea there were so many different styles! It was so interesting that Poe and Chewie had play three games of Dejarik before they finally called it quits. "Finn? Did you hear me?" Finn blinked and looked up at Poe, "I said we're done with Dejarik, and I asked if you're hungry."

Finn set down the 'pad and rubbed his eyes, stretching. "Sorry, Poe. I must really have been concentrating." He thought a moment, until his stomach growled loudly. Finn and Poe laughed, "Well, I guess that answers that question!" Finn chuckled.

"Alright, buddy; let's see what's in the galley. I don't know what it is about Dejarik, but I'm always famished after I play a few games."

Finn glanced back at Poe, "How many games _did_ you two play, anyway?"

Poe chuckled, "Three. I got my ass kicked three times while you sat over there, looking like a blue Twi'lek woman could have danced naked right in front of you, and you would never have noticed!"

Finn grinned and shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed _that_!" Great. Now that image was stuck in Finn's head. The three squeezed into the tiny galley as Poe checked their supplies; Chewie had to duck his head to keep from hitting the ceiling, "Hey, Chewie? Out of sheer curiosity, how did you, Han, Leia, _and_ Luke manage to fit in here at the same time? It's tiny!"

Chewie roared his answer, and Poe snorted in response, "He said 'Very carefully. And with a lot of fur in the food.'"

Finn laughed, "Well, try not to do any cooking, okay buddy? You have very nice fur an all, I just don't think it'd make very good seasoning, is all." Over the next hour, Poe tossed together a hot meal for them as the three companions talked amicably. Hearing the noise, BB-8 rolled up to be a part of the fun, whirring with amusement at the silly flesh-creatures.

As they finished their meal, Finn looked off into nothing, thoughtful. "You know something? I think I _will_ try the obstacle course today. I found some new techniques that I'd like to try," Finn said to Poe.

"Finally. Oh, I can't wait. Succeed or fail, this is going to be extremely entertaining for me! Just you wait, Chewbacca; we're going to get to see something very rare: a clumsy Jedi!" The three chortled at the mental image Poe had provided. Finished, they cleared up and headed for the cargo bay.

Upon entering the bay, Poe and Chewie sat on a couple of crates, well out of harm's way while Finn walked to the control panel to program in a course. As he did, he noticed that there were holographic enemies that could be programmed, also. Finn decided to run the course with opposition; he programmed the simplest course with the simplest enemies. Finn took his place at the beginning of the course; the whole thing was marked out with green lights, which would turn red if Finn went wrong somewhere. A cool female voice rang through the bay, "Padawan. Make ready. Training begins in three...two...one...Begin."

A beep echoed as Finn sprinted for the first obstacle, a series of low walls that Finn was required to jump over; he pulled out his light-saber and activated it, sensing movement coming towards him. Glancing to his right, Finn saw a man-shaped hologram aiming a blaster at him; it fired, and a bolt of blue light streaked towards Finn. Instinctively, he brought up his light-saber and twirled it to deflect the bolt; his light-saber buzzed as the bolt ricocheted away. Finn figured the bolts were low-level bursts of energy, which would still sting. He'd better not get hit, then. Finn came to the next obstacle: a series of poles, barely wide enough for his feet. Finn leaped agilely from one to the next, until another enemy appeared to his left, swinging an approximation of a light-saber towards him. Bringing his own light-saber up, he blocked the attack, though he wobbled on the poles. Finn sucked in a breath as he felt himself begin to fall; he flipped over backwards, hoping he'd land on his feet, as he brought his right hand up, aiming a low-level Force-Push at the hologram. To his astonishment, it worked. The figure flickered and faded. The General must have programmed the system especially for a Jedi, or else it was a leftover from Luke's academy. Finn thought the latter was probably the truth. Regaining his footing, Finn continued the course. At long last, he came to the final obstacle: a simulated bridge. As he walked onto the "bridge," two assailants appeared, one on either end, forcing Finn to defend on two fronts. The only good news in this situation was that both had light-sabers, which meant there would be no bolts to deflect.

The holograms converged silently on Finn, both bringing up their weapons. Finn Force-Jumped over one, placing them both in front of him. Poe and Chewie erupted into cheers. Grinning now, Finn worked furiously to fend off both at once. The grin fell from his face as one of the holograms used his own trick against him; it flew through the air, landing easily behind Finn. Finn barely managed to block the attack that came from behind, but felt a sting in his hip as the other blow that came from in front connected. Finn Force-Pushed the one in front, blocked, twisted, and decapitated the second. There was silence, then another beep rang out. The cool, female voice sounded again, "Well done, Padawan. There is, however, room for improvement. I have recorded and tracked your progress, as well as your reaction times and emotional response. I will design a training regiment for you to help you improve. The recording of this training session is available for viewing; many Padawans have found that they improve faster when they can _see_ their own mistakes."

Finn huffed out a sigh. "Well, for a first run, that wasn't too terrible."

Poe looked at his friend with new respect. "Yeah, you could have fallen on your face!" The two chuckled. The next two days began to follow a pattern; Finn would study theory and technique in the morning over breakfast, run the course, have lunch, run the course again, then study over dinner. In this way, the journey to Naboo passed far more quickly.

***Author's Note***

Hope this chapter was entertaining. I'm liking the whole training course thing. ^_^ Thanks for reading, as ever!


	10. Chapter 10

***Author's Note***

The plot, as they say, thickens! Yaaay, we've finally reached Naboo, and things are going to get interesting rather quickly! Hope you enjoy. ^_^

***End Note***

The final day before their hyperspace journey was completed, Finn was concentrating on training; they had decided they would be staying on the _Falcon_ to give Finn better access to both his equipment and the study materials that Luke had provided. He had been working hard at the obstacle course, and was improving. He still wasn't completely satisfied, but he was definitely getting better. Admittedly, Finn was sure that he had years of training and practice ahead of him before he could even come close to rivaling Luke's skill with a light-saber, but still. He was running the course more smoothly; he still had problems with multiple assailants, but the training system knew that. All Finn could do was improve each time he ran the course, which was what he was doing. Therefore, he was happy with his progress, even if he wasn't completely satisfied just yet.

Finn completed his current run, just as the bay door opened to admit Poe. "We're going to break the atmosphere on Naboo pretty quick here; you might want to take a turn in the 'fresher before we do; you probably stink."

Finn stood, panting, feet spread with his hands on his hips. Snatching up a towel, he started to mop at his face and chest; he had found that he preferred to do the run in just his boots and a pair of skin-tight breeches. The artificial light glinted off of his glistening, ebony skin as his broad chest heaved with exertion. "Yeah, thanks. I'll do that. Oh, damn, I'm sore. I'm really wishing ours ran on water right now, rather than sonic. I could use the hot water on my back."

Poe cast his friend a mischievous, sidelong glance, "No way. Forget it. I am _not_ giving you a back rub!"

Lacking the energy to swing at Poe, Finn simply glared at him before heading to his quarters for a fresh change of clothes. He was just stepping out of the 'fresher, dressed in his best clothes, when Poe came over to him, "I'm guessing we've landed." Poe nodded, smiling, "Good; let's get going then." As they headed for the loading ramp, they found Chewie already waiting for them, bowcaster slung over his shoulder. BB-8 came rolling up behind them, content to watch as the other three disembarked from the _Falcon_.

As they strode confidently (it was difficult to walk any other way with Chewbacca beside them) down the ramp, a well-dressed group spotted them and started towards them. _Here we go,_ Finn thought Poe. Finn saw Poe's jaw tighten in response. Glancing up at Chewie, Finn gave him a small nod; Chewie's eyes narrowed in response. A tall, distinguished-looking older man broke free from the group to lead the way. Heading straight for Poe, he smiled and extended his hand, "Mr. Dameron! It is good to see you again. I was hoping it would be you acting as the General's Liaison."

Poe cleared his throat and Finn coughed delicately, "Actually, sir, I'm just acting as pilot and added security. May I present the General's Dignitary, Finn? Finn, this is the Honorable Salvor Bahr, He is a well-respected member of the Resistance, as well as one of our more important financial backers."

Salvor Bahr glanced in surprise at Finn but recovered quickly, chuckling, "At, forgive me, sir. The hazards of old age, I suppose; you grow so used to familiar faces." He held out his hand for Finn to shake.

Accepting the offered hand, Finn smiled, "No worries, Mr. Bahr. I understand the longing for a friendly face, especially in these times. As far as lodgings, we've decided to keep our quarters on the _Falcon_. We can move the ship closer to the compound; I'm sure there are meadows close enough. Our reasoning is simple :We're quite sure that your resources are strained enough without finding rooms for us, as well. We'll join you for meals and all other required activities, but the rest of our time will be spent on the Falcon. Besides; I'm used to the soldier's life. Anything more...lavish makes me twitchy." Finn smiled his most winning smile, chuckling with the older man.

Salvor nodded, "That suits us fine, if that's really what you wish. We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival, gentlemen. General Organa speaks very highly of you, Mr..."

Finn shook his head, "No surname Just Finn."

Salvor raised an eyebrow, "Ho unusual. Well, no matter. I've known Leia for a long time, and I've never known her to do _anything_ without reason. If she appointed her Liaison, Finn, it's because she sees something in you; she trusts you. If Leia trusts you, then so do I. Come; there has been a great ball planned in your honor. If I may accompany you, we can find a suitable meadow for the _Falcon_." Salvor turned to Chewbacca, "Hello, Chewbacca; I should have known that you would go wherever the _Falcon_ went. It is good to see you. I only wish it were under happier circumstances." Chewie mewled softly and nodded at the old man.

Salvor turned and waved off the group behind him, "You can meet them later." With that, Finn, Poe, and Chewie returned to the _Falcon_ with Salvor in tow. Poor BB-8 tottered, glancing from one to the next so quickly that Finn seriously began to fear for the little droid's neck joints. Poe led the way to the cockpit, keyed in the ignition sequence, and they were off, flying low. Before long, Salvor pointed, "There! That'll do nicely!" Following his advice, Poe put her down in a meadow that was just the right size, and walking distance from the compound. The group once again disembarked from the _Falcon_ , heading towards the compound.

Entering,they found it to be a hub of activity. Following their guide proved rather simpler than they expected, however, as they had forgotten to take Chewie's presence into account. He tended to cause a "parting of the sea", as it were. At last, Salvor led them into a large chamber, filled wall-to-wall with people. He led them to a long table that sat on a raised dais on the far end of the chamber, where there stood a number of important-looking officials. Reaching the table, they found four open seats, and took their places at them. Salvor raised his hands, and the hall fell into silence. "Ladies and Gentlemen! We have been honored with the presence of General Organa's own personal representative. He is here to aid in some rather important decisions, with the full support of the General. Tonight, however, we are celebrating his arrival. Therefore, allow me to introduce to you Finn, the General's personal representative." The crowd cheered for Finn as he inclined his head at his gracious introduction.

Finn waited for the crowd to quiet down before speaking, "Thank you, Salvor, for that very kind introduction. I am pleased and honored at the General's endorsement, and I will strive to represent her to the best of my ability. Now; let's set aside all talk of business and enjoy ourselves!"

The crowd met Finn's little speech with a great roar, followed by the playing of music. A great area in the center of the room began to clear as people paired off and started to dance. Finn thought it was a bit of an odd thing; here he was, just a former Stormtrooper, and now he was the personal Liaison to General Organa! He was just reflecting on his very great turn of luck when he saw her enter the hall. She was a blue-skinned Twi'lek, and Finn thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life. Suddenly, it was as though other women simply didn't exist; she was the only one in the hall, as far as he was concerned, and he didn't even know her name. She had a sweetheart-shaped face, and curves that seemed to go on for leagues. Her Lek'ku swung gracefully as she moved through the crowd. As she drew nearer, Finn saw that her pale blue skin was tinged with a delicate pink at her cheeks; here eyes were a startling shade of pink. She moved with the music almost subconsciously, gliding through the room effortlessly. The dress she wore was pure white, and bared a great deal of her back, showing midnight black stripes on her back. Poe glanced at his friend and chuckled. "That, my friend, is called love at first sight."

***Author's Note***

Hehehe. I know, I'm evil. Do I know how to leave something hanging, or what? The next chapter will hopefully be a bit longer; I've been super busy this week, so my chapters have been slightly shorter than I'd like, but as we head into the weekend, that will theoretically change. Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

***Author's Note***

Hello, dear readers! I know it's been a few days since I posted anything, but here it is! I've been a bit blocked, and pretty tired. I figured I'd give my mind a few days' rest, and it worked like a charm! Well, this chapter's a bit more fun, and definitely a wild ride; hope you enjoy!

***End Note***

Later that evening, after food had been served and the attendees had all eaten their fill, Finn wandered through the crowd, stopping here and there when he was greeted. Poe was off on his own, romancing some woman or other, no doubt. Out of the corner of his eye, Finn caught a glimpse of blue, white, and black. His heart hammered in his chest; it was her! The Twi'lek girl from earlier! Finn hesitated, unsure for a moment. Making up his mind, Finn made his way towards her, screwing up his courage as he went. Just as he reached the girl, she turned, smacking straight into Finn. Heart thumping madly, he reached out to steady her as she wobbled. Finn was not particularly tall, but the girl would barely come to his collarbone in her bar feet. He stared into her unusual pink eyes for a long moment and she stared back. The world seemed to grow quiet as Finn regained the use of his voice, "Hi. Uh, are you alright?" She nodded, the pink of her cheeks deepening, "I'm Finn."

She smiled shakily, "Twila Doroturo." She spoke hardly louder than a whisper.

"Twila." Finn relished the feel of her name on his lips, "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry I bumped into you." At that moment, the par realized that they were still standing, arms wrapped around each other. They sprung quickly apart, each dropping their arms as though they had been burned and looking in opposite directions.

Twila giggled nervously, "That's alright, I don't mind. I was actually hoping that I'd get the chance to meet you," the girl admitted, her flush deepening.

Finn smiled shyly, "Oh. Well, I was hoping to meet you, too. What brings a girl like you to a place like this? Oh, jeez; that was so cliché." Finn and Twila giggled together at the awkwardness.

"Well, my family was killed by a First Order raid, so, um, I guess I just thought...I thought maybe I could help."

Finn nodded, "Well, that's as good a reason as any, and better than some. I'm sorry about your family," he added sadly.

Twila smiled, toying with one of her Lek'ku, which was draped over her shoulder. "That's alright. I mean, no it's not, but there's not really anything that can be done about it, so...it's okay. So, I was wondering...are you _the_ Finn?"

Finn's eyes narrowed in confusion and his head cocked to one side. "What do you mean, 'the Finn'?"

Twila giggled again, "I'm sorry. There are a lot of rumors. They say you used to be a Stormtrooper and that you were terribly wounded in a duel with Kylo Ren. They say you and Poe Dameron are inseparable and that you took on two armed assailants with your bare hands, and _won_. They say you personally know Luke Skywalker, and the new Jedi, Rey. They say you knew Han Solo, and were there when Kylo Ren killed him. Is any of it true? I mean, obviously the bit about Poe is true, but the rest...?"

Twila had unconsciously inched closer and closer to Finn in her excitement until he could feel the press of her breasts against his chest; his trousers tightened in response. Gazing down into those incredible pink eyes, Finn had to swallow before he could speak, "Yeah, well, I guess so. I mean, yeah, it's all true! But I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make a big deal out of the former Stormtrooper part. I get enough guff from that back at HQ. But then, people back at HQ also think Poe and I are gay, so..." He grinned sardonically at Twila.

She flushed again and looked down, backing away a few small steps. Finn tried not to let his disappointment show; he liked having Twila so close to him. She smelled like cloves, he thought. It was earthy and just a bit spicy; her scent was intoxicating. She chewed her lip, looking embarrassed, "So, then you and Poe...you're not, I mean he isn't, that is to say...You haven't been... _claimed_ by him? He isn't your mate?" Twila could not hold his gaze, her eyes darting around in embarrassment.

Finn took Twila's chin gently in his hand and turned her face to him, shaking his head and smiling. "No. I'm not claimed by anyone." Twila beamed up at him. "Would you like something to drink, Twila?" At her nod, Finn held out his arm, which she took happily. Together, they walked to where a large bar had been set up. Finn chuckled to himself when he caught sight of a very familiar back leaning on the bar, apparently absorbed in conversation with a blue-eyed, black-haired beauty.

Poe turned as they approached, "Hey, there he ish! Honey, this is the guy I wash telling you about. Besht friend I've ever had right here."

Finn raised an eyebrow as Poe wobbled and his words slurred. "Poe, are you drunk?"

Poe wagged his head drunkenly, "Hush; don't worry sho much. It'sh a party, Poe!" Poe's eyes narrowed in confusion, knowing something he'd said didn't quite make sense. He shook his head slowly as the pieces fell into place, and Finn fought desperately to keep a straight face, "No, Finn. You're Finn, _I'm_ Poe. Well, anyway, I was jusht shaying to...to, um...to...my...little _vixshen_ over here...I thought she and I could shneak off for a while, if that'sh okay with you?" Over his shoulder, the "vixen" watched the interaction closely, an odd glint in her eye. Finn caught her gaze, his head cocking to one side in curiosity; there was something strange about the emotions coming from her. There was lust, certainly, but there was also something...darker.

The woman wrapped her arms around Poe's neck, the glint disappearing so suddenly that Finn wondered if it had ever been there at all. Finn shrugged, dismissing it as his imagination, "Yeah, sure. Have fun, you two." The two weaved their way out of the hall; Finn kept his eyes on them as they retreated. He narrowed his eyes, thinking there was something about that woman. He just couldn't place what it was, but there was definitely something off about her.

"Finn?" Came Twila's concerned voice, "Is everything alright?" Her hand came up to rest on his shoulder, concern etched into every line of her beautiful face.

Finn forced a smile, "Yeah, sure. I'm sure it's nothing. I've just got a bad feeling about that woman. Well, Poe's a big boy. I'm sure he can handle himself. Sorry; so, where were we? Ah, yes, drinks." Finn shot Twila a genuine smile as he turned to collect some Corellian brandy for them. He smirked into his glass as Poe's emotions began to bleed through their Bond. As the evening wore on, Finn and Twila spoke on every topic imaginable, though Finn was careful to refrain from mentioning his abilities.

"So, you have no memory of your family? No idea who they were, or who you are?" Twila's voice was sad and full of pity.

Finn shook his head, "No, I have no clue. I was taken from my family as an infant; the First Order always kills the family when they, ah, gather new recruits. I've lived my whole life not knowing who I am, but I'm okay with it now. Rey doesn't know who she is, either. She was left on Jakku when she was a child, with no explanation."

Twila cocked her head, "So, what's she like? I'd love the chance to meet any of them, myself; especially Luke Skywalker. He's supposed to be one of the most powerful Jedi that has ever lived."

Finn smiled, "Yeah, he's pretty incredible. I've never known anyone who's harder to make angry. He's a good man; now, Rey...she's something else. She's the first friend I ever had, actually. When you're raised a Stormtrooper, you don't exactly make friends. There are the guys in your unit, but that's the closest thing you get to family. Poe and Rey are family to me now. Rey's like the sister I never had. She's difficult to explain, though; you'd have to meet her. Maybe some day, you will, huh?"

Twila smiled, "You really care about them a lot, don't you? It says a lot about you; you're incredibly loyal; I would be honored to have a friend like you." Twila flushed and glanced quickly away.

Finn smiled, his heart hammering in his chest as he took a hesitant step closer to Twila, reaching to cup her face, "Twila, I..." Before Finn could finish his thought, a feeling of intense, sickening _pain_ hit him dead in the gut, sending his head reeling. More pain came roiling off of his Bond with Poe, and his vision blurred as he doubled over, gagging on the pain.

"Finn? Finn, what is it!?" Twila's hands raced over him, trying desperately to help him, though she could find nothing wrong. Her panic rose as Finn's eyes went wide and he gasped for breath; his skin had taken on a deathly pallor that was ill-suited to his ebony skin. By now, a crowd had begun to gather around them, chattering indistinctly. Chewbacca roared as he began to shove his way through the crowd, trying to get to Finn; reaching him at last, he knelt beside him, gently taking his shoulders and mewling in concern.

Finn gulped in air again, desperate to clear his head, "Poe," he managed to choke out, "There's something wrong with Poe...I can _feel_ it." Finn's eyes went wide and his pupils dilated with pain as his back arched and he gagged again. He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily and sweat pouring down his face, "Chewie, take care of Twila! I have to find Poe, right now. I think he's being tortured." Finn steeled himself mentally as another wave of sickening pain washed over him, raising the bile in his throat and nearly making him vomit. He swallowed hard as he turned to Twila, "Stay here with Chewie; he'll take care of you, won't you, buddy?" Chewie nodded, a grim glint in his eye as a low, vicious growl tore from between his lips.

Finn lurched unsteadily to his feet and rushed for the door, the crowd parting before him. Flashes of Poe's predicament began to flicker across Finn's field of vision. Suddenly, he heard Poe's voice in his head, _Help me, Finn!_ Poe's feet skidded across the floor as he redoubled his speed, feeding his legs with the Force as he raced desperately for Poe's Force-Signature. Finn's head began to pound and his heart ached terribly as he felt Poe begin to weaken. _No, no, no, no, no! You're not taking my brother from me!_ At last, Finn sensed that Poe was near; he skidded to a stop in front of a door. He was certain Poe was in there; he shoved with the Force, and the doors slid violently open.

A grisly scene met Finn's eyes; Poe was strung up, completely naked, against the wall, chained at wrist and ankle. Blotchy bruises were already beginning to spread across his skin, and his face was bleeding profusely from where he had been beaten across the face. The truly disturbing thing, however, was that no other wounds could be found. He glanced at Poe's captor; it was the raven-haired beauty from the ball. _I knew it,_ thought Finn ruefully, _I knew something was off about her_. The woman gazed at him with shock in her eyes, before recovering enough to raise her hand and fling a table across the room at Finn. Without a second thought, Finn flung up his own hands, stopping the table in midair. The woman paled and her eyes widened as she realized that she was no longer the only Force-User in the room. She stepped back a few steps in fear as she took in the look on Finn's face. The woman launched across the room at him, her fist drawn back and a look of stubborn determination on her face. _She doesn't have a light-saber,_ Finn realized staggeringly.

Finn had never hit a woman before, but he knew that he had no choice; he blocked as she swung in from the side and rammed his left fist up, hard, into her chin. She did a backwards hand spring, which carried her far enough away from Finn to whip out her leg in a vicious spinning back-kick; Finn barely managed to evade it, giving the woman time to lurch towards him. He waited for the opportune moment; she came into range at just the right moment, and Finn brought up his right knee into her gut, before whipping his elbow forward into her face, sending her staggering backwards. The woman growled at him and flung up her hand; reading her intent, Finn blocked the Force-Wave that came towards him and pushed back with one of his own. The two waves met in the space between them, causing an explosion of Force-Energy to blast outwards, effectively wrecking every bit of furniture in the room. Knowing this could not go on for much longer, Finn Force-Jumped, landing at the woman's back and grasping her firmly around the waist, squeezing with all his strength. She gasped for breath as she reached around her back to rake her nails across Finn's face, leaving deep, angry gouges behind. Finn cried out in pain as she broke his grip with a powerful Force-Blast, which impacted painfully with his ribs. She lunged for Finn's legs, sending him to the floor with a thud. She scrambled onto Finn, her knees on either side of Finn's hips. "It's a shame...you and I could have had so much fun..." She ground her hips down against Finn, making him harden.

Finn scowled as he rolled his hips with a growl, trying to gain a better position. He managed to hook his legs around the woman's neck in a triangle choke, squeezing hard with his thighs. She gasped for air, her eyes widening as she struggled against him. "I'm sorry," he growled, "I didn't want this to end this way, but you're not going to stop." Finn twisted his hips sharply, and there was a sharp _snap_ as the woman's neck broke and her eyes went blank. Finn gently unwound his legs from the woman's neck and she slumped lifelessly to the ground. Finn skittered away form the body, heaving. He vomited violently, his stomach aching. He wiped his face as he stood up and rushed over to Poe. "Hang on, buddy; I've got you."

"'Bout damn time," Poe complained weakly, "Why is it always me that's getting tortured?"

Finn chuckled wearily, "You're just lucky, I guess. Are you alright?"

Poe nodded gently, "Yeah, but I feel like I've been turned inside out. Was she what I think she was?"

Finn's mouth set into a grim line, "Yeah; a Force-Sensitive assassin. Let's find you some clothes. I really don't want to look at your naked ass anymore. It's okay, buddy; I'm sure you'll forget this eventually." Finn grinned evilly.

"Oh, you're never going to let me forget this, are you?" Poe chuckled weakly before moaning in pain. "Shit. Don't make me laugh; it hurts."

Finn found some clothes for Poe and helped him get dressed. He draped one of Poe's arms over his own shoulders for support. Together, they made their way back towards the ball room, though neither was in any mood for a party anymore. As they entered the hall, the crowd that was still gathered there gasped as they took in their appearances. Twila and Chewie came hurrying over to the pair, fear in their eyes. "Finn, are you alright!?" Twila asked with concern in her voice. Chewie growled angrily as he took in the damage that had been done to the two.

"We're fine, but I have a bone to pick with our... _gracious_ host. SALVOR!" Finn bellowed for the man, who came hurrying forward. "You had an assassin in attendance tonight, and not just any assassin: a Force-trained assassin. We're just lucky that I was able to catch her off-guard. I think maybe she didn't want to be exposed, so she kept the use of the Force to a minimum. You'll find her body in her quarters. Be careful; we did a bit of a number on the furniture. You need to do a thorough investigation on how it is that an _assassin_ managed to make her way in here. If it wasn't for the strong Force-Bond that is between Poe and myself, he would be dead right now. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to get some sleep." Twila hurried forward to help Finn to the _Falcon_ , and Chewie bent to pick up Poe, who had sunk nauseously to the floor, panting in pain. Once they reached the _Falcon_ , Finn helped Chewie get Poe into bed before he headed for his own quarters.

"I can stay, if you like," Twila started hesitantly.

Finn shook his head, "I appreciate the offer, Twila, but I'm exhausted and I hurt from head to toe. Will I see you in the morning?"

Twila nodded sadly, "Yeah, I'll be sticking around for a while; don't worry about that. I'll see you later, then." Finn sighed and turned to go into his own quarters. He stripped off his clothes and collapsed naked onto his cot, too exhausted to bother with finding something to sleep in.

***Author's Note***

Yaaay! Finn seems to have found a lady for himself! Hope you all enjoyed the bit with the assassin. I certainly enjoyed writing it! As ever, thank you so much for reading.


	12. Chapter 12

***Author's Note***

Good morning, my dear readers! I wanted to take my time with this chapter. I know there hasn't been a whole lot of Finn/Twila stuff yet, but there will be. Oh, there will be so very much lemon-y goodness. But for this chapter, the plot, as they say, thickens...Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn woke the next morning aching in places he didn't know _could_ ache. Groaning, he tolled off his cot, grabbed a towel to cover himself and a fresh change of clothes on his way to the 'fresher. After he'd finished and was fully dressed, he headed for the galley where, much to his surprise, he found that Poe was already up and about. "Huh. I figured you'd sleep the day away. How are you feeling?"

Poe moaned in pain and made shushing motions at Finn. "Ungh. Well, I'm definitely paying for my stupidity." Poe winced at the volume of his own voice, "I think she drugged me, Finn. Ungh. I feel terrible. I have _got_ to be more selective with my women." Finn chuckled quietly in response, "So. What happened between you and _Twila_ last night, and does she have a sister?"

Finn rolled his eyes, "Nothing happened last night. We got you to your quarters, she left, and I passed out."

Poe groaned, "She didn't stay!? Why didn't you ask her to stay? It was obvious she wanted to" Poe had shouted in his surprise, which set his head to pounding again and lent his face a greenish hue.

Finn cocked his head curiously at his friend, "You think so? Maybe she was unsatisfied at the way the evening ended? Huh. Maybe I should have asked if she wanted something to drink."

Poe groaned again, "Oh, man; you really _are_ a virgin, aren't you? She wanted to _spend the night_ , you idiot! Let's just hope you didn't totally screw your chances."

Finn's face was a study of confusion as he tried to puzzle out what Poe had meant. His eyes widened and his jaw fell open with a small _pop_ as the pieces came together, "Oh. _Oh_! Wow, okay, _now_ I see it. Wow, am I thick. Shit. Well, maybe I'll get another chance later? I hope."

Just then, Chewie entered the room and roared something to them, at which sound Poe's face lost all color and his hands flew up to sup his aching head. "He says Twila's outside. Go get her, and for pity's sake, do so quietly. Please?"

Finn smothered a laugh as he and Chewie headed for the loading dock, "Tell me honestly; you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Chewbacca huffed out his bear-like laugh, his eyes shining with mischief. He shot Finn a if-you-act-stupid-you-get-what-you-deserve look, causing Finn to dissolve into laughter, "Yeah, that's what I thought," he chuckled. Just then, they reached the ramp and saw Twila at the bottom, waiting for Finn. Chewie laughed again as he took in the long, heavy silence between them. He roared at Finn, "Yeah, okay. Um, get back to...you know...um...whatever you were doing." Chewie laughed again as he headed outside to continue whatever modifications he was doing to the _Falcon this_ time.

Twila smiled, "I wanted to check up on Poe. Is he doing alright? And you. I, um, wanted to see how you were, too." She blushed, avoiding Finn's eye.

Finn chuckled, "Oh, he's fine. About the only lasting damage was to his pride. Well, that, and he's got the worst hangover he's ever had in his life right now."

Twila giggled, "Poor Poe. Would it be alright if I came in and said hello?"

Finn thought a moment before smiling, "Sure; I don't see why not. Just whisper around him and don't be too insulted if he's a bit snappy with you. He's of the opinion that all women are soul-sucking fiends right about now," he finished with a chuckle. He offered Twila his arm, which she took eagerly, smiling up at him. Finn stared back, feeling dazed; she had the unnerving ability to send a bolt of heat straight to his gut with the slightest of glances. Together, they walked to the galley, where Poe's vocabulary seemed to have been reduced to a long stream of profanities.

Finn and Twila snickered into their sleeves as they watched Poe struggling helplessly against various cooking utensils, bowls, and ingredients. He had somehow managed to stack five bowls, three frying pans, three wooden spoons, two spatulas, a whisk, eggs, some form of steak, milk, cheese, potatoes, and a variety of seasonings. The resulting tower wobbled dangerously at the whole thing threatened to topple at any moment. Twila's hands were clasped tightly over her mouth as her shoulders shook silently in an effort not to startle the pilot.

Finn bit his knuckles as a snort of laughter threatened to burst forth. He took several deep breaths and swallowed hard before saying quietly, "Um, Poe? Uh, what're ya doing there, buddy?" Twila leaned into Finn, shaking with silent, helpless giggles.

Poe growled at them from behind his leaning tower of breakfast, "What the fuck does it look like I'm doing, asshole? I'm trying to make a goddamn hangover breakfast. And don't think I can't hear the fucking laugh in your voice, you dick. Oh, fuck, my head." At last, Poe staggered over to the counter and managed to set the lot down, but not soon enough. Poe's eyes widened in horror as his tower of food and dishes gave one final lurch and tumbled to the ground amid a terrible racket and the unmistakable _gong_ of frying pans hitting the floor. Poe's face paled as he sunk to his knees, cradling his poor, abused head as he uttered a muffled, "Son of a _bitch_."

At this, Finn and Twila could no longer contain themselves; undignified snorts of hilarity burst from both of them, earning them both a furious glare from the pathetic-looking Poe. Finally, Twila took pity on him. Walking over to him, she laid a hand under each elbow, gently lifting him to his feet. "Now, you go sit with Finn, and let me take care of everything."Moving quickly and confidently around the small galley, Twila boiled some water, put some honey, mint, and ginger in a mug, and poured the boiling water over it. Handing it to Poe, she said, "Here. This will calm your stomach, ease your headache, and regulate your blood sugar while I make us some breakfast. I hope you don't mind if I join you; I haven't eaten yet." Poe took the tea gratefully, nodding numbly.

"What can I do to help," Finn piped up.

"Just sit there and make sure Poe drinks his tea. Let me know if he runs out, and I'll make him some more." Finn looked on in astonishment as Twila glided around the galley. After she had cleaned up the mess left by Poe, she placed a large skillet on the stove to heat, covering the bottom in olive oil. Then, she portioned out four steaks and lightly seasoned each with salt and pepper on each side before laying the in the now-hot skillet to cook. Next, she took out a dozen and a half fresh eggs, (as the eggs Poe had taken out had shattered), cracked them into a bowl with milk, salt, and pepper. Taking out another skillet, though much smaller this time, she placed it on a very low heat and greased it lightly with butter before pouring the egg mixture into the skillet. Finally, she took out a third skillet, tossing in a liberal chunk of butter and adding a small amount of olive oil to keep the butter from burning and to add a little extra flavor. As the butter melted and the oil heated, Twila peeled and diced a couple of cloves of garlic and an onion, tossing them in to cook with the butter and olive oil. Next, she peeled and grated a dozen potatoes before dumping them into the skillet and seasoning them liberally with salt and pepper. The smell of cooking steak and potatoes filled the ship, making their stomachs growl and drawing Chewie in from his work, sniffing the air appreciatively and mewling with curiosity. At long last, Twila plated the food and laid it on the table before them. Famished as they were, Finn, Poe, and Chewie managed to wait politely until Twila had sat before cutting eagerly into their perfectly cooked medium-rare steaks. Finn's eyes slid shut in ecstasy as the steak seemed to melt in his mouth. Opening his eyes, he saw Poe staring at him.

"Finn? You're marrying this woman if I have to put a blaster to your head." Twila giggled and blushed while Finn just gaped, open-mouthed at Poe.

"What...How could...Why do...You're just...I JUST MET HER LAST NIGHT, YOU JACKASS!," He finished with a roar that caused Poe's face to go green again and caused him to cradle his head in his arms. Finn stared a moment more, then smirked, "Well, that's what you get for putting in your unwanted two cents. _I_ will decide when I ask Twila to marry me, thank you very much." Twila and Poe both went stock-still, staring with their eyes popping and their mouths ajar. After a few breaths, it clicked, " _If_! I meant _if_! Damn it..." Finn looked down as his cheeks darkened. Casting desperately around for a new subject, Finn quickly asked, "So, Chewie...what are you working on out there?" They finished their meal companionably, avoiding any further _inflammatory_ topics.

As they rose to clear their dishes, a sudden beeping echoed through the _Falcon_. "The comm!" Exclaimed Poe, racing off to accept the incoming call. Reaching the holo-comm, Poe quickly pushed the "accept" button. A miniature Luke Skywalker flickered into existence standing before them on a pedestal before them. "What can we do for you, Master Skywalker?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, "You look terrible, Poe. I sensed a disturbance in the Force last night; is everything alright? Where's Finn?"

Poe's eyebrows rocketed upwards in alarm, "He's, ah, showing our new friend around the _Falcon_. She's just over there, actually," Poe pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

Luke pursed his lips and nodded that he understood, "Finn? Care to tell me what happened? The General is most anxious for news."

Finn stepped reluctantly forward with an apologetic glance back at Twila. "Well, Master Skywalker, it would seem we were...expected...by the First Order. We definitely have a traitor, and a high-ranking one, at that. I have my theories, but I'll keep them to myself for the time being. An assassin was waiting for us. Or, more specifically, for Poe. A _female, Force-Trained_ assassin. She posed as a harmless flirt and lured Finn to her quarters, where she tortured him, though for what, I don't know. There were not many who knew we were coming, though that may have simply been an educated guess. We were welcomed by an elaborate ball, whereat our identities were revealed to the masses; I'm not sure if that was what the General had intended or not, but now everyone knows who we are. That could be a good thing, but it could also be a very, very bad thing. I sense that it would be dangerous to stay more than one, _maybe_ two weeks."

Luke's eyes narrowed as he digested the information. "She had Poe, you say? Well, how did he escape alive, and so relatively undamaged?"

Finn shifted on his feet, "Well, I, uh, may have had something to do with that."

Luke crossed his arms and spread his feet, "Explain."

Finn shuffled his feet again, "Well, uh, it was mostly luck, I suppose. I think maybe she didn't want to expose herself by using the Force too much, so I was able to engage in close-quarters combat with her. We grappled for a while before I managed to get my legs around her neck and snap it. Sir."

Luke frowned as he sifted through the necessary outright lies and half-truths to decipher what had really happened. "Very well, then. At least there was no permanent damage done. Did she gain any information?"

Poe cleared his throat, "Some, sir, but nothing about our current mission. She did, however, glean the location of the second base on Yavin-4. I think it would be wise to leave by the end of the week."

Luke nodded sagely, "I agree with you, Poe. I will advise my sister as much." Luke sighed, "I wish this had not happened; we are no closer to finding Rey. Now, is your new friend still here?" Finn nodded, "Good. I would very much like to meet her."

Finn turned to look behind him, "Twila? Would you like to step forward?" He held out his hand for her, a hopeful look on his face.

Twila hesitated for only a moment before placing her pale blue hand in Finn's dark one and stepping boldly forward so that Luke could see her. As she cam into his filed of vision, Luke's eyes widened, "You!" he said in stunned amazement. Twila's face crumpled in confusion. "Finn, when you have finished your mission, bring the girl to me. Don't be afraid, young one; I am pleased to see you. When we meet I will explain that you need to know. Finn, tell her everything. Yes, I do mean _everything_. I will explain the situation to Leia, so don't worry about disobeying her orders." Luke's eyes grew distant for a moment; when they re-focused, they were somber; something was happening. "Out schedules will coincide. Meet us halfway between Naboo and Yavin-4. I wish I could stay and talk more, but with this new information, I feel I must lend my skills where they will be the most useful. I look forward to meeting you in person. Farewell for now, my young friends."

The hologram faded, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. The three were left standing in the semi-darkness, staring at each other. Twila turned to Finn, waiting for him to speak. Finn shifted uncomfortably, "Well, um, we haven't exactly been perfectly honest with you. Uh, well, I am...uniquely qualified for this mission. The General specifically requested me for this mission; I've been serving as her personal bodyguard for the last month or so. Recently, I've had...complications. Master Luke discovered my Force-Sensitivity and insisted on training me in the ways of the Force. So, for lack of a better term, I suppose you'd say I'm a Jedi, though I have taken no oaths, and Master Luke made it clear that he doesn't expect me to become a Jedi; I can walk away from the Order at any time. He wanted me trained for my safety and the safety of others. I didn't want to lie to you, Twila. I was under strict orders not to tell anyone, for the sake of the mission. We have a traitor here, and I've been sent to feel out the minds and emotions of those around me to find him. Or her, I suppose. But something about you made me trust you immediately; I know you're no threat to our mission."

At the beginning of Finn's speech, Twila had displayed first shock, then hurt at the realization that he hadn't told her. By the end, however, she seemed to have quite forgiven him. As if to prove that point, she stepped forward, taking Finn by surprise, and raising up on her toes to kiss him full on the mouth. Finn's eyes went wide with surprise before his arms came up to circle her back as he sank into the kiss with fervor. As the kiss ended, Finn looked into Twila's eyes with a small smile. Just then, there came another beeping, "Oh, don't worry. You two keep trying to eat each others' faces. I'll get the door. It's morning for visitors, I guess." He moved to a monitor in the corner and punched some buttons, "Uh, guys? The visitor is Salvor...What does _he_ want?"

Finn's eyes narrowed, "This timing can't be coincidence. Poe, come with me; Twila? Please go with Chewie. Take care of her, will you buddy? I need you two to keep out of sight. I'm not sure why, but I sense that him seeing you here would be disastrous. Come on, Poe; let's go see what he wants." Chewie and Twila headed to the cargo bay while Finn and Poe headed to see what Salvor wanted; whatever it was, Finn didn't think it could possibly be good news. Whether or not it was legitimate news was another matter altogether.

***Author's Note***

So many things happened in this chapter; hope you enjoyed it! I'll write more this evening.


	13. Chapter 13

***Author's Note***

Good morning, dear readers! Bit of a shorter chapter this morning; all super important information here, but give it a couple chapters, and there will be Super Lemon Action! Hope you all enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn and Poe stood watching Salvor on the monitor for a moment before Finn caught Poe's eye and gave a nod. As the ramp lowered, the old man jerked in surprise. _Well, somebody seems to have a guilty conscience._ Finn thought at Poe. Poe's eyes hardened slightly as he nodded imperceptibly. "Good morning, Salvor," Finn greeted the man in a cheery voice. "What brings you here on such a fine morning?" As he spoke, Finn extended his mind towards Salvor's carefully, stopping when he had barely brushed the old man's mind. The slight contact was enough for Finn to read Salvor's emotions, and what he found was not encouraging. There was urgency, fear, anger, some small amount of guilt, but most disturbing to Finn was the overwhelming feeling of determination. Finn cast Poe a sidelong glance at which Poe nodded imperceptibly again.

Only a few seconds had passed while Finn had gleaned this information, during which time Salvor tittered nervously, "Well, you know...I wanted to come and check on _our boy_. Such an embarrassment. To think the First Order managed to place an assassin _here_! And under my very own nose, no less! I couldn't be more humiliated. Are you alright at least, Poe?"

Poe's eyebrows lifted, "Oh, yes, if you don't count the pounding in my head and the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what kind of outfit you're running here, but the General will hear about this." Finn and Poe watched Salvor closely for his reaction. He first paled, then a spark of unmistakable rage came into his eyes and was quickly quenched, replaced by concern so convincing that Finn and Poe would have believed it had they not both witnessed the rage.

His expression shifted suddenly to one of pleading placation. "Now, gentlemen. I don't really think that's necessary, do you? I mean, there was no real harm done, was there?"

Finn could feel Poe's temper snap and crackle. As his friend began to step forward, Finn laid a hand on Poe's shoulder. "'No lasting damage', you say? Poe is privy to all manner of Resistance secrets, and all you can say is 'No lasting damage?' No, I think I will inform the General myself as to your apparent...incompetence." Finn tightened his hand slightly on Poe's shoulder as they waited for Salvor's reaction. First, Finn had felt intense greed emanating from the man, then fear, which was followed quickly by rage. Much to his credit, however, none of these emotions showed on his face.

Salvor took a deep breath and said, with some effort, "Very well, gentlemen. If you truly believe that to be necessary, then I shall not argue with you. Well. I have...other things to take care of. Good Morning." With that, he turned on his heel and stormed away, fuming.

Finn and Poe exchanged dark looks before Finn sighed, "Sometimes I really hate it when I'm right. Come on, let's tell Twila and Chewie what he said, and I'll tell all of you what went on under the surface." Together, they turned and closed the loading ramp behind them. They found the others in the recreation area, where BB-8 was working in a corner; he had a panel opened and some wires pulled out. Finn sat heavily in a booth beside Chewie. Together, they quickly relayed all that had been said, and Finn explained to them all what he had gleaned from Salvor's emotions. "He's definitely hiding something. The odds are good that he's our mole. If he is, we'll know soon; given the greed I sensed when I mentioned 'Resistance secrets,' I'd say he had to hurry off to make contact with his handler. If he did, then you can bet there will be more First Order goons here before long. Now that we've identified the probable traitor, we just need to figure out how to leave false information for him so we can out-bid him on the mining operation the General sent us here to acquire. Anybody have any ideas?"

To everyone's surprise, Twila was the first to speak up, "Well, I was thinking about it while you two were talking with Salvor. I thought you two could stage a whispered conversation regarding this mining operation, and how much you've been authorized to offer. Discuss a false number, then keep close tabs on Salvor, and you'll be able to get the information from him that way."

Poe and Finn stared at her in shock while Chewie's eyes glinted knowingly and he growled a quiet chuckle. Glancing first at each other, then back at Twila, Finn and Poe seemed lost for words. Finally, Poe finally managed, "Damn, girl. You are positively _diabolical_. One question, though. If Salvor has figured out that we no longer trust him, which I'm sure he has by now, he may get suspicious if we are suddenly always around him. How do we get around that?"

Twila blushed gently, "Well, um, I'm Force-Sensitive. It was discovered when I was very young, and there was a man that lived in my village who had been trained by Master Skywalker as a child; he gave me lessons, which is why you didn't realize when we met; I was blocking you from reading me. I'm sorry, but it's a secret I've had since I was very young, and it takes a lot of trust on my part to tell anyone about it. In fact, you three are the only people who know. There are others here that are trustworthy; they could give us information on his whereabouts; I could be nearby when he makes suspicious calls or talks to anyone...odd. It would be noticeable if I was always tailing him. I mean, it's not like I blend in." She smiled slightly at the thought of _her_ trying to go incognito.

Finn thought for a moment before responding; Poe was still too shocked to speak. "You and I were raised on completely different sides of the First Order. You were raised to be afraid of them, and I was raised _by_ them to fight. I can't possibly understand your point of view because I haven't _lived_ the way you lived. Don't worry too much about keeping secrets; we all do it. What happened to the man that trained you?"

Twila's expression grew sad, "He was killed in the same raid that killed my family. He died saving me; he used an old Jedi mind trick to convince the Stormtoopers that I was not there; that, in fact, there _was_ no girl in this family. It worked, and they killed him on the spot; he used his last breath to save me." Her voice cracked as a tear slid down her cheek.

Finn reached over and wiped it away, "It's alright; you're safe now. I'd like to see if we can't figure out who your trainer was, if that's alright?" Twila's nodded her approval, not trusting her voice to remain steady as she leaned her head onto Finn's shoulder and sighed. Finn cleared his throat and smoothly put an arm around her shoulder, "Now, back to the plan; I think it's a wonderful idea. With _two_ Force-Users, this mission just got a whole lot easier."

The rest of the morning was spent discussing strategy and doling out jobs. Twila came up with potentially trustworthy candidates while Fin and Poe listened intently. Chewie roared his advice on occasion; much to Finn's surprise, he actually _was_ beginning to understand the odd dialect.

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, the identity of the mole has finally been revealed! Hope this was as enjoyable to read as it was to write. As ever, thank you for reading, and feel free to leave your honest opinions in the reviews section!


	14. Chapter 14

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my dear readers! I know, I'm super late; what can you do? The site was down all morning, so I couldn't update my story. Thank you all for your lovely reviews; it is definitely heartening. Anywho, Hope you enjoy this chapter!

***End Note*

Their discussion went on well into the afternoon. At last, Finn called a halt to it, saying, "Twila, you should be getting back before anyone starts to wonder where you are. Did anyone see you come here?"

Twila shook her head, "No; I go for a walk in the woods every day. It's not unusual for me to be gone half the day. The truth is, though, that I often meditate in the woods; I find it relaxing. The forests remind me of home. No one saw me come here because I took my normal route, then circled around, feeling for your Force-Signatures until I found you. I'll take more-or-less the same route back."

Finn smiled, "Huh. Diabolical _and_ crafty. Good combination." Twila blushed as Finn rose to walk her out. As they walked, Twila's hand brushed his own, and more than once. Taking a chance, he caught hold of her fingertips, weaving his fingers daringly through hers. She jerked in surprise at the sudden contact before giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. Reaching the loading ramp, Finn reached over and punched the button to lower it. He did a quick scan of the area through the Force before deciding that all was well. He felt Twila tug suddenly on his hand, turning him towards her.

As he turned, Twila rose up on her toes to meet his lips, releasing his hand so that both of hers could knit together behind his neck. Finn had somewhat expected the kiss this time, so he wrapped his arms around Twila's back and crushed her to him. He didn't have much experience with kissing, but he more than made up for it with enthusiasm. She moaned and melded her body to his, her hips pressing forward to grind against his manhood and the erection that was already forming. Sensing that things were about to hurtle out of control, Finn lowered his hands to Twila's hip and pushed her gently back, breaking the kiss. Panting, they stood staring into each others' eyes for a long moment before each took a step back. Twila cleared her throat, though her voice remained husky, "I'll see you later, then." She grinned teasingly at him before bouncing up to plant a kiss on his cheek before running, fairy-like, into the woods.

Finn sighed happily as he watched her go. Turning to head back to the recreation room, he froze. Poe and Chewie were each leaning on a door-frame. Chewie's eyes sparkled with laughter and mischief while Poe was wearing his best shit-eating grin. A low whistle came from between Poe's lips as he observed his friend's obvious discomfort. "Now, _that_ was a kiss!" Poe teased, "Now all you need to do is stroke her lek'ku, and she'll probably..." But what Twila would probably do, Poe never said. He turned, laughing maniacally, to run up the small passageway as Finn sprung after him with a sound that was half anger, and half laughter.

Poe continued laughing as he ran through the ship, Finn hot on his heels. He began to realize that Finn was much faster than he was; Poe began to sense through their Force-Bond that Finn was feeding his speed with the Force. "No fair," Poe exclaimed, still laughing. _Who said anything about fair? I am going to kill you_ , Poe heard Finn's response in his head. The threat was ruined by the low, rumbling chuckle that bubbled up through Finn's chest. Finn finally caught up to Poe in the communications room. Poe sensed Finn tense behind him and readied himself for the pounce he knew was coming. Sure enough, seconds later, the former 'Trooper's muscular body slammed, shoulder-first, into Poe's back, knocking them both to the ground. Both were breathless from laughter, and neither heard Chewie come in behind them, ready to put a stop to the mock-fight before anyone got hurt.

Finn was busy smacking Poe around the head and shoulders, "Filthy...smutty...nasty...JACKASS! You...have...a...nasty...mind...Pervert," Finn said between smacks and giggles.

Suddenly, from behind, above, and to the right, they heard an amused, "Ah, gentlemen? If you're not _too_ busy..."

The two sprung to their feet, disheveled and panting, staring in shock at General Organa, who was staring at them from the holo-comm with amusement in her eyes. Finn and Poe turned simultaneously to glare at Chewie, who was whuffing out his Wookie laugh while he leaned helplessly on the wall, which was the only thing in the sparse room that he could lean on without having it break under his massive weight; neither of the men had ever seen the Wookie laugh so hard. Poe's eyes narrowed, "Traitor," he hissed while Finn snorted out a laugh at the mock-venom in his brother's voice.

"Alright, you two; you've had your fun. Now, Luke says you may know who our mole is?"

Finn and Poe snapped their heads forward, each shifting uncomfortably. Finn cleared his throat self-consciously, "You're not going to like the answer, General." Leia set her jaw and her eyes steeled as she nodded. Finn sighed, "General, I'm almost certain that the mole is non other than Salvor Bahr himself. I know he's a personal friend of yours, but I let a slip a few details that would have little real importance to anyone who is loyal to the Resistance, and given his reactions and the emotions I felt coming from him, I have no choice but to conclude that he is, indeed, our mole."

The General's eyes went wide and her jaw slack with shock for a moment. Recovering quickly, she said, "Salvor? I knew him to be a greedy old man, but I've known him since I was a child. He was an old friend of my father's on Dantooine. I always thought it was a miracle that he survived, but now I'm forced to wonder if it wasn't more than that. When this is over, if your suspicions are correct, watch his reaction closely. He'll reveal himself for a moment or two before he manages to cover it. _Salvor_? My stars. I never saw this coming; I knew it must be someone of high rank, but I thought Salvor was just a harmless old man. I gave him that position so he would feel _useful_ , and now look what's happened...I am so sorry, to both of you, for what happened last night. Are you alright, Poe?" The General's face had paled as the implications of this potential betrayal struck her.

Poe's mouth set in a grim line, "Yes, General. I'm alright. I think I'll take a break from women for a while, though. I'm feeling much better, thanks to Finn's new... _friend_." This particular comment earned Poe a smack from Finn.

Leia made no comment, but raised an eyebrow, "Yes; the Twi'lek girl...Twila, was it? Poe, are you sure she can be trusted?"

Poe nodded immediately, without a second thought, "Yes, General. She's a Force-User, like Finn. Also...Don't hit me again, okay? I'm pretty sure there's a Force-Bond between them. I _felt_ it when they met. I've never experienced anything like it, except maybe when I met Finn. That's the only experience I have that comes even close. I've been in love, but this was...more. It was deeper, somehow. We can trust her. She's going to help us catch Salvor. She's come up with a great plant o feed him false information."

Leia held up her hand, forestalling him, "Alright, alright," she chuckled, "I believe you. I don't want to hear any more; we've said too much as it is. I want you to be finished with this by the middle of next week. I sense something is going to happen. Therefore...Lay the false trail with two billion credits. Contact me when you know what Salvor's bid will be."

Poe and Finn both saluted neatly, "Yes, General." Leia gave a small, curt nod and her image flickered, vanishing from view.

They walked quietly back to the recreation room. Poe plopped down into a booth, but Finn stayed standing, seeming restless. Poe watched Finn pace back and forth, Finn's arms folded across his chest. Poe raised an eyebrow as Finn paused, his brow furrowed, then shook his head and continued pacing. Poe let his head fall back against the booth with a slight groan, "Ugh. Finn, you are exhausting to watch. If you have that much energy, go run your obstacle course a few times. Or challenge Chewie to a game of _Dejarik_ , or literally _anything_ but pace! You're gonna pace right through the hull!"

Finn stopped abruptly, looking contrite, "Sorry, Poe! I didn't realize I _was_ pacing. That's actually a really good idea; I'll go run my energy off. We have time before dinner, and it's better than driving you to distraction." He turned on his heel and walked quickly form the room, heading for the cargo bay.

Poe let out a sigh of relief. Between Finn's energy level, the sexual need pulsing off of him, and the odd feeling that a noose was slowly closing around their necks, Poe felt like he was about to crawl out of his own skin. _Huh. Finn was right; I_ am _starting to feel his emotions more. His thoughts come through clearer, too_. Poe smiled to himself and spoke aloud to the empty room, "Well, this whole Force-Bond thing definitely makes us the ideal team, but it makes having a personal life a pain in the ass." Poe sighed. He doubted he'd ever have with a woman what Finn had stumbled into with Twila. He'd come close once, but she was...Poe clamped down on _that_ train of though viciously. He didn't need to think about her. Poe sighed again and forced a smile; glancing at the direction of the cargo bay, he call softly, "I know you're there, Chewie. Why don't we play a few games of _Dejarik_?" Chewie entered the room and nodded before whining softly with concern. Poe laughed humorlessly "You know, you read humans really well. I've known other Wookies, and they are nowhere near as good at it as you are. Yeah, buddy; I'm fine. I was just...reminiscing." He reached up to pat the massive Wookie on the shoulder-ish area before forcing another smile and sitting opposite him.

Four hours later, Poe realized Finn must still be training and winced, "Hey, we'd better get him ready for dinner, huh?" Chewie growled his agreement and the pair shut off the _Dejarik_ table before heading for the cargo bay to draw Finn out of whatever reverie he'd sunk into. When they reached the bay door, they found it wide open; Finn was hard at work, light-saber drawn, fighting off four opponents at once with apparent ease. With evident skill, Finn quickly dispatched three with quick slashes and, with a flourish, beheaded the fourth. Poe felt obliged to applaud as the program spoke, "Well done, Padawan Finn. You are making great progress. Master Skywalker will be pleased."

"Understood. That will be all for today." Finn panted. Glancing at Poe as his bare chest heaved and glinted in the artificial light, he took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "So. What's up?"

Poe raised an eyebrow, "Finn, you've been in here for four hours! We need to get ready for dinner. Remember? Big fancy dinner every night while we're here?"

Finn clapped his hand to his forehead, "Ah, crap; I totally forgot! Let me take a quick turn in the 'fresher, and we can head over."

"Oh, and Finn?" Finn paused in his mad dash for his quarters, "No need to be all formally dressed this time. Just as long as you don't look shabby." Finn nodded and ran off.

Not even thirty minutes later, Finn and Poe walked into the same hall that had been used for the ball, though all traces of opulence had been removed, leaving behind nothing but military precision. Finn and Poe were directed to their seat by a serving droid. To their surprise and displeasure, they saw that they were separated by no less than three men! Finn raised an eyebrow at Poe and thought at him, Well. _This is...unexpected..._ Poe's brow furrowed in concentration before Finn heard, _Little does Salvor know, we don't need to speak to communicate. Poor, sly old bastard._ Finn nearly choked on his own tongue in his effort to keep from laughing.

Finn and Poe sat, ready to endure the longest, most mind-numbingly dull dinner they had ever endured. Quite unexpectedly, they heard a decidedly female voice in their heads, _Wow. You two look like you're being lined up for execution! Cheer up. It won't be so bad. I'll help entertain you. That one to Finn's left looks like he has some Hutt in him, doesn't he?_ Glancing, shocked, towards the door, they saw Twila enter, regarding the whole affair with mild interest. As she passed them, though, they noticed a glint in her eye that said she was fighting just as hard as they were to keep her composure. Finn and Poe mad the mistake of making eye contact, and snorted into their soup, hurriedly turning the sound into a hacking cough for Finn and a sneeze for Poe. The rest of the evening passed quickly and enjoyably as they each singled out various individuals and made...unfortunate...observations about them. Much to their pleasure and surprise, they found that Poe was able to communicate directly with Twila and vice versa. Poe was convinced that this was due to the Force-Bond that he was certain existed between Finn and Twila, though he wouldn't say as much. At last, the "dinner" came to an end, and Finn reached mentally for both Poe and Twila. _We should set the trap tonight. It'll give Salvor plenty of time to get in touch with his contact._

***Author's Note***

Okay, so things are heating up for Finn and Twila, and there are sooo many other things going on right now! I can't wait until tomorrow so I can write more! Well, good night, dear readers. I hope you enjoyed. As always, Thank you for reading, and please feel free to post up reviews.


	15. Chapter 15

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear people! Okay, so, cliffhanger chapter tonight! You're probably going to hate me for this one, but that just means I'm doing my job right. ^_^

***End Note***

Later that evening, Finn and Poe were sitting together in the compound's entertainment section, sharing a large bottle of Corellian ale, which was already half-empty. Across the room, a skinny twig of a man sat, watching them closely. The man was tall and his complexion sallow. He had small, beady eyes and a nasty, sneering expression. His lips were so thin that they nearly didn't exist. The man's hair was a pale blonde, and looked as though it needed a good wash. There was a bottle of his own in front of him. The man's sneer deepened as he listened to the two men laugh; they'd been at it for hours already.

Poe took a swig of ale and leaned in to Finn, speaking in what he obviously thought was a quiet tone, "I don't know what the General is thinking. The price she's offering is outrageous."

Finn shushed his friend, we're not supposed to talk about that." The sallow man smirked into his drink as he leaned forward. It seemed these Resistance thugs couldn't handle their drink.

Poe chuckled drunkenly, "I mean, _come on_...two billion credits!? We haven't even seen the mining operation yet. She could be being swindled...Huh. That's a funny word... _swindled_."

Finn chuckled at his inebriated friend, "Come on. We'd better get you back to the _Falcon_ before you _really_ get us in trouble." Finn helped Poe to his feet and the two stumbled an weaved their way back to the main compound. They quickly ducked around a corner, "Do you think he bought it?" Poe shushed Finn, and the two pressed their backs against the wall as their observer hurried past their hiding-place.

"Does that answer your question? Better let Twila know."

Finn nodded, _Twila, you're up. Our sallow friend took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. He's heading your way._ Finn felt Twila's assent, followed by intense concentration. Finn smiled to himself, "She's on her way."

Poe smirked in return, "That is one incredible lady you've got there." He draped an arm around Finn's shoulders as they headed back to the _Falcon_. As they reached the ship, they heard Twila's voice again, _You were right. He contacted the First Order and then met up with Salvor to give him his orders. We definitely have our mole. He's been authorized to bid three billion credits. You have all you need now to contact the General. I'll meet up with you back at the_ Falcon _._ Poe clapped Finn on the shoulder, grinning. "You heard the lady; we have a call to make." The call with General Organa only took a short fifteen minutes; they ended the call, authorized to bid a staggering _six billion_ credits. Poe and Finn thought this was a wise course of action, just in case the First Order decided to bid higher on a whim.

At last, Twila brushed Finn's mind with her own. "She's here," he informed his friend. Hurrying to the loading ramp, he lowered it for her just long enough for her to slip in. "Were you followed?"

Twila shook her head, "No, I don't think so. Though I have more information for you; the bidding has been moved up to early tomorrow morning; the First Order is nervous, having you two here. They don't want to take any chances that you might pull off a miracle. I have a bad feeling that something will go wrong, and soon."

Finn looked at her strangely, "I've had the same feeling since we got here, but it doesn't feel like it's something to do with our mission. I have the feeling it's more to do with Rey than us. I don't know; everything's all jumbled. I can't get a clear picture. You're welcome to stay here tonight, if you're not feeling safe, Twila. I'm probably going to spend a good deal of time meditating."

Twila smiled at him, "That's very kind, but I think it would be suspicious if I didn't return to my quarters tonight. I'll see you after the auction, okay?" She raised up and kissed him on the cheek, holding him close for a moment, "Be careful tomorrow, okay? Just...watch your backs. Both of you. But especially you. It's okay to leave Poe to die; I won't mind."

Finn chuckled and gave her a squeeze, "I'll be careful, and I'll let Poe know you were concerned about him." Finn leaned down and pressed a kiss to her smooth forehead, relishing the scent of her, so close to him. Twila drew away as Finn lowered the ramp again and she was gone. Finn watched her go with an odd sense of loss. Sensing Poe behind him, he turned, raising his hand to wipe away tears that he was astounded to find rolling down his cheek. "I don't know why, but I feel like I won't see her again for a very long time."

Poe's lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed, "I'm sure it's just nerves, buddy. We'll see if she can go with us when we leave. Speaking of...I was thinking we would leave once our business here is done, which includes Salvor's arrest. But I don't think we should linger."

Finn nodded, "No, I agree completely. Things are going to start happening now, and quickly. I will ask her if she'll come, certainly, but I don't think she will. I can't say why, but I feel she has a destiny that, for now, at least, goes on a path that is different from mine. I...need to meditate."

Poe watched his friend walk slowly away, feeling heavily troubled in his heart. He _knew_ the two had a Force-Bond, and that they were quickly falling in love with each other, despite the fact that they had known each other for so short a time; only a couple of days! But still; Poe was certain he was right. It didn't take forever, when the right person came along. His Valerie...now, _she_ was something else. Poe shook his head viciously, drying the tears that had formed, unbidden, in his eyes. Feeling there was nothing more he could do, Poe trudged off to his own quarters and readied himself for bed.

Unknown to both of them, Chewie and BB-8 had witnessed the entire conversation. Deciding to do something about it, Chewie sent BB-8 to Twila with a message. Knowing she could understand the dialect of the Wookies, he asked her if she would please meet them the next day after the auction. He asked if she would come with them, saying that both Finn and Poe greatly desired her continued presence. He confessed in his message to her that he, himself, had grown fond of her far more quickly than he was accustomed to. He told her that it was his belief that she would be an important part in the events that were beginning to unfold. Chewie felt that he would not be able to breathe until he heard back from her; he did not have long to wait. BB-8 soon returned, chirping with excitement. The little droid played her return message, in which she gladly accepted Chewie's invitation, and would meet them as soon as she was able. Chewie sighed in relief; his new life-friends would be pleased when their little surprise arrived.

The next morning, Finn, Poe, and Chewie set out early to meet up with the other delegates who were planning to make bids on the mining operation. They were not surprised to find that most of the delegates had left on their personal shuttles already; quickly boarding the one meant for them, they set off to meet up with the other prospective buyers. It was a piece of luck that the mining operation was not terribly far, and they reached it with minutes to spare. As they disembarked from their shuttle and walked towards the small group of interested parties, they saw one or two shake their heads and return to their shuttles. Salvor, however, paled when he saw them, but called to them, "Gentlemen! We're...so glad you received our message! I was worried you would not be able to join us."

Finn drew his brows together to give the impression of confusion, "Message? We received no message, Salvor. Poe and I were up early this morning, and we heard scuttlebutt saying that the meeting had been moved up, and that you lot had already left. We hopped on the shuttle and beat feet to get here. Good thing, too; the General would be most displeased to miss out on such an opportunity due to... _miscommunication_..."

Salvor began to sweat and pull at the neck of his robes, "Yes. Yes, that would have been...unfortunate."

Just then, the seller called them to order, "You have seen the product; any questions?"

Finn spoke up, "Yes; you stated that this mining facility was up to code? And yet, everywhere I look, I see rust and outdated equipment. The Resistance is more than willing to buy this facility, and at far more than the asking price. However, we insist that you pay for this facility to be truly brought up to code, as that is the way you were advertising in the first place."

The seller thought for a moment before speaking, "Your terms are agreeable. Now; nay further questions? No? Then we begin the bidding at five hundred thousand credits." The bidding took off, and before long, it had reached one billion. The swarthy First Order representative indicated one point five billion, and Finn indicated two.

The First Order goon sauntered over to them and leaned down to whisper in Finn's ear, "Why are you bothering? We both know two billion is your maximum. This will be most embarrassing for you."

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Do we both know that? Huh. Bid, and we'll find out."

The unsavory character sneered at Finn and indicated two and one-half billion. Finn stepped forward and daringly raised the bid to three and one-half billion. The First Order goon's jaw went slack, and the majority of the other bidders turned to leave, disheartened. The bidding then turned fierce with Finn and the sallow blond sneering at each other as the bid grew higher. At last, Finn sensed his opposition grow nervous, and he knew he would win. The First Order raised the bid to five billion, and Finn heard, quite clearly, _They can't possibly beat that. At least I hope not; that's all I've got_... Finn smiled pleasantly as he leaned in close and said in a low, carrying tone, " _Six_ billion credits." The blond man paled and staggered back.

The seller, who had watched the entire bidding war, growing more perplexed with each bid, spoke at last, "Six billion credits, going once...going twice... _sold_ to the Resistance representative! Excellent, sir. Well done. Please provide your credit chip, and we will conclude our business; it has already been written into the agreement that we will personally pay to bring this facility up to code. You may see this for yourself, if you wish." Finn indicated that he would, indeed, like to see the new agreement before he would hand over the credits. He read the datapad he was handed carefully, to be sure there was no foul play. Satisfied, he handed over the 'pad, as well as the data chip that the General had given them for the bid. "Congratulations. The Resistance can now proudly claim this facility as their own. You gentlemen are free to go."

Finn glanced at the First Order representative and noticed, with no small amount of glee, that he looked as though he had swallowed his own tongue. Suddenly, Finn noticed that someone was missing, "Poe! Where's Salvor?"

"Shit," cussed Poe, "He must have made a run for it. IF we hurry, we may still catch him!" The pair hurried to their shuttle and sped back to Naboo. As the three of them exited the shuttle, BB-8 came rolling up to them, beeping excitedly. He rolled up to Chewie and projected a small hologram of Twila; she spoke excitedly, "Chewie; I'm almost ready to go. Let the others know that I can't wait to join them in returning to the Resistance. I am so glad that you contacted me last night. I've got to finish packing!" The hologram flickered out of existence, leaving Finn to stare, flabbergasted, at Chewbacca.

"You did that?" When Chewie nodded, Finn threw his arms around the Wookie's back (being the only place the former Stormtrooper could reach). "Thanks, buddy," Finn muttered into Chewie's fur.

Just then, a sudden chiming came from Finn's pocket. He reached in and pulled out his mobile holo-comm; it was the General. He and Poe snapped neat salutes, "General! You will be pleased to hear that we have successfully acquired the mining facility."

Leia's eyes widened in surprise, "Well. That is most excellent news. However, I'm afraid we have more pressing matters. Luke had a vision; it seems that the First Order is very close to finding Rey; we need you to return. Immediately. I am transmitting our fleet's identifying codes; you'll be able to find us easier that way; just head for Yavin-4. We'll be somewhere in between. What about Salvor? Is he in custody?"

Finn sighed, "No, General. He vanished during the bidding. I'm sorry."

Leia returned Finn's sigh, "That's alright. We'll get him another time. Now, go! And hurry."

Finn glanced at Poe, "Ten minutes? Can we give her that long?"

Poe grimaced and shook his head, "I think we can spare five. Let her know."

Finn frowned and nodded. _Twila! Change of plan; I heard your message for Chewie. You need to get to the_ Falcon _within five minutes, or we'll be forced to leave without you. We received orders that we are to return immediately. Please hurry._ He sensed first Twila's surprise, then her assent as he and Poe rushed to the _Falcon_. While Poe readied the ship, Finn paced as he waited anxiously for Twila. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard Poe's voice crackle over the on-board comm system, "I'm sorry, buddy, but we've got to go. I'm so sorry." The loading ramp shut tight as the _Falcon_ rose into the air. Just then, Finn sensed Twila come bursting out of the woods.

"No," he whispered as he rushed to a view-port to look down at her, even as she gazed back at him. He reached for her through the Force, and sensed she had done the same. _I will find you again, Twila. I am so sorry; we waited as long as we could._ Finn could feel her heartbreak right alongside his own as he heard her reply, _I'll come and find you as soon as I can, Finn. I understand perfectly. I'm not angry with you; I look forward to when I cross your path again._ Just then, the distance between them grew too great, and her mind faded from his own.

Poe walked quietly up behind Finn, "I'm so sorry, Finn. I didn't want..."

Finn nodded silently and patted Poe on the chest, "I know, buddy. I know. I'm, uh, I'll be in my quarters, meditating." Poe watched his brother walk away dejectedly, and felt his heart break for him.

***Author's Note***

Oh, boy, was that chapter fun to write! At last, Salvor has revealed his true colors! As ever, thank you for reading and please feel free to leave me reviews. One last note, I will be writing the sequel to For The Girl after this story is completed. It will be entitled, The Darksaber Resurfaces. Night, all! ^_^


	16. Chapter 16

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, my dears! So, you're going to get a little backstory on Poe in this one. I hope you all enjoy it. Although, I must warn you: THERE IS AN EXTREMELY BRIEF SEQUENCE OF EXTREMELY DISTURBING VIOLENCE IN THIS CHAPTER IF YOU. IT INVOLVES TORTURE, RAPE, AND DISTURBING TREATMENT OF A PREGNANT WOMAN. IF ANY OF THESE ISSUES ARE MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE, PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER; IF YOU PM ME, I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER. AS A RAPE SURVIVOR MYSELF, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD BE TOO MUCH.

Other than that, please enjoy this chapter. Again, if you feel that you cannot handle it, please, please do not read this chapter. The last thing I want is to upset anyone. Everyone else, read on, my lovelies!

***End Note***

Traveling at normal speed, the _Falcon_ intercepted the Resistance fleet three-quarters of the way to Yavin-4. They pulled up beside the flagship and docked, lowering the loading ramp. Just as they started down, Luke Skywalker came sprinting towards them, his robes flapping around his ankles. "Wait! Start her back up again; there's no time to explain right now! Poe, chart a course for Ord Binir, now!" Finn and Poe, though confused, did as he ordered, moving with haste. Neither of them had ever seen Luke so agitated. Chewie, however, was well used to Luke's various moods; he knew that if _Luke_ was this agitated, it could only mean bad news. Luke took the seat behind Poe's, which surprised the younger man greatly; the last time he had been in the cockpit with the Jedi, Luke had insisted on flying, himself. "The First Order has discovered Rey's location. This ship is the only one that is fast enough to reach her in time. She should be able to take care of herself until we get there. I hope."

As the _Falcon_ jumped to lightspeed, Finn leaned forward, balancing on Chewie's chair, "Poe; isn't the _Falcon_ able to hit faster-than-light speed?" At Poe' nod, Finn shouted, "Then _punch_ it!" Poe grinned and pushed the throttle forward as far as it would go. Finn was slammed backwards in his seat, but he didn't mind. He felt it now, too; Rey was in terrible danger, and if they didn't hurry...Well, Finn knew first hand what awaited those that crossed the First Order, and he had no desire to witness it again. He glanced over at his Master to find that Luke had sunk deeply into the Force; he was all but unreachable. Resigning himself to a quiet few hours before they reached Ord Binir, Finn returned to the recreation area and settled into a trance of his own, seeking the oblivion of the Force to escape from his own pain.

While Finn and Luke were both under, at some point during the twelve hours it took them to reach Ord Binir, Luke noticed a tremor in the Force and followed it to Finn. Luke "sat" back for a moment, "watching" Finn's torment. He listened closely to what was troubling the young man and saw through Finn's own thoughts what had happened. Shock ripped through Luke; sensing it, Finn reached for Luke. _How long have you been listening,_ Finn asked his Master. Luke thought for a moment, _I'm not really sure. I've been listening long enough to hear your thoughts on Twila. I am so sorry, Finn. Had I known, I would have pressed Leia to give you a time frame when we needed to leave. As it is, we still might not be able to..._ Finn breathed in deep before responding, _I know, Master. But everything happens for a reason. I won't ask for special treatment just because of my abilities. We will meet again; I can feel it. Right now, our priority needs to be Rey._

Luke felt pride rush through him at his Padawan's words, _Well said, Padawan. You do understand, of course, that you cannot become a full-fledged Jedi now, don't you?"_

Finn readied himself for his answer, _Yes, Master. I understand. You still have Rey, at least._

 _Indeed, I do. Alright; I'll let you get back to your meditating._ With that, Luke withdrew from Finn's mind and returned to consciousness. As his eyes opened, Luke saw that Poe was watching him anxiously. "How is he?"

Luke smiled, "I don't know why I should be surprised that you were aware of my presence with Finn. He's alright. His heart is aching, but his mind is on the job. Had I known the situation, I would have made sure that orders were given to assure that she was brought to us immediately. I am sorry, Poe. I know that his pain is your pain; such is the way of Force-Bonds. He'll be fine, though. As soon as he sees her again, which he's certain he will, he'll be fine."

Poe sighed, "Well, that's good. At least he'll be able to do the job. If this had affected his ability to work, I hate to think what it might do to his already-fragile self-esteem. Being raised a Stormtrooper doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for confidence."

Luke nodded, "Agreed. All that I can say is be there for him, Poe. He is resilient; he'll survive this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire to my own quarters and get some sleep." Luke stood and left Poe alone with his thoughts in the cockpit. Poe wondered where Finn's Twila might be, and how things with his own Valerie had ended. Poe closed his eyes for a moment and her face came clearly into hiss mind. She had been perfectly lovely, and they had both been very young. Her eyes were a clear, bright green, and her skin a lovely pale cream color. Her hair was like a red flame blossoming on her skull and falling in thick ringlets to well past her shoulders. Her lips were like the finest roses and as soft as the an early summer afternoon, and just as warm. Ah, she had been a queen with the lithe body of a dancer. But the most astounding fact to Poe had always been that she had been _his_. Poe opened his eyes to see Finn watching him with a sadness in his eyes that match the sadness in Poe's heart.

"Who was she?" Finn asked, his voice barely audible.

Poe watched his friend for a moment and sighed before answering, "Her name was Valerie. She was a noncom; she never joined the Resistance, and she hated that I wanted to; I was a freighter pilot before this. I kept making excuses not to go, for her sake. There weren't quite enough credits, I didn't want to leave our friends, I even grasped at straws such as I didn't want her to miss out on the spring fashions. She loved keeping up on the latest fashions, and man, could she wear them well; we were so happy together." Finn sat in the co-pilot's seat as Poe sighed, "But, as it always is with stories like mine, it couldn't last forever. The First Order hear that there were a number of Resistance sympathizers on our planet; it doesn't matter which one, now. They came while I was out on another freight run. I came home to find our town had been burned to the ground, and all the people had been hung from stakes. And my Valerie...for her, they had allocated a place of _honor_ ," Poe sneered the word out, his pain and lingering bitterness palpable, "They had lain her on a platform, right out in front. It was obvious that they had tortured her; they probably raped her, too. But at the last, they found her to be pregnant" his voice cracked on the word, "with my child. They cut it out of her and left it to die, gasping at her feet. She died staring at it as they let her bleed to death.

"I stayed by there side until the neighboring villagers came to find why they had heard nothing from us in so long. At first, they thought me among the dead, until they tried to pull me away from my wife and child. I fought them like a madman, caring little if they were friend or foe. It took them a month to help me regain some semblance of sanity. When I finally returned to myself a little, they told me there was no place fore me there anymore. They weren't being unkind; in fact it was the opposite. They knew I would see her everywhere, and that I would be better off elsewhere. So, I left and joined the Resistance. They were right, you know. Leaving was the best thing I could have done for myself. I was wild when the General first took me in; wild and reckless. She helped me to realize just how much I still have left to live for, and she showed me ways to channel my rage and pain. The pain is still there, it's just...quieter. The pain never goes away, and it never will; it's been six years since Valerie was torn from me, and still I search for her in the bed beside me some nights. I still smell her now and then, but when I turn, she's not there; those are the times when I miss her the most, and the pain comes back like a flood. But if it wasn't for the General, I probably would have gone on one too many suicide missions, and I never would have found my brother. I understand exactly how you're feeling, Finn. I feel it every day." Finn stood and pulled his friend into an embrace as silent tears streamed from Poe's eyes and soaked into Finn's shoulder. After many long moments, Poe pushed away from Finn, taking long, slow breaths to calm himself and stem the tide of tears. He wiped his face and thumped Finn on the shoulder, "Thanks, buddy," Poe muttered thickly through the lump in his throat.

Finn nodded, "Any time, buddy. I always knew there something more than simple soldier's loyalty between you and the General; I'm glad she was there for you." Back in Luke's quarters, Luke came out of his meditation and smiled to himself. _At last, he is beginning to heal. I'm glad; Leia has been worried about that one. I was beginning to worry somewhat, myself._ Just then, the _Falcon_ dropped out of hyperspace and shuddered as it came suddenly and unexpectedly under fire.

***Author's Note***

Well, there you have it, my dears! I hope this was an enjoyable chapter, and that no one was unduly disturbed. Please, please let me know, either in a PM or in the reviews section, what you thought of this chapter. As always, thank you for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, all! SO; here, things start to really get interesting. We've reached the point in For The Girl where Rey and Ben reunite with the others; I didn't get to write much about Finn and Poe's reactions to the whole situation, so that's being done in this story. I had a lot of fun examining this from Finn's point of view; I hope you like it, also. Enjoy!

***Author's Note***

Poe weaved this way an that, avoiding Tie Fighters and Star Destroyers alike as Luke and Chewie rushed into the cockpit, "Chewie! I need you on the controls!" The old Wookie needed no further urging; he lunged forward, crossing the cockpit in one giant stride and assumed his controls. Just the, Luke spoke up, "Chewie? I think you should know that Ben's on Ord Biniir with Rey." Chewie roared in rage and protest, glaring accusingly back at Luke. "I know, I know. Just try not to hurt him, okay?" Cheiwe huffed a response to which Luke responded, "Well, _that's_ reassuring. Poe? Finn? About twelve hours before Rey contacted me to tell me that she and Be, specifically _Ben_ and not Kylo Ren, were in trouble, I sensed...not exactly a _disturbance_ in the Force, but more like a...tremor. I'm not sure what it means, but we should be on our guard for any surprises." Poe and Finn nodded. Poe was entirely focused on piloting, and Finn was searching with the Force for any incoming enemy ships Poe might have missed.

Luke sat behind Chewie and calmed his mind. As they broke the atmosphere at breakneck speed, Luke began to search for his Padawan. Glancing out of the cockpit viewers, he hissed in a breath. Below them was a desolate landscape broken only by canyons and caves. One of these canyons was swarming with activity; without having to be told, Poe angled towards the movement. Luke could definitely sense Rey now, as well as Kylo... _Ben_ , he mentally corrected himself. As they grew nearer to the ground, Luke saw numerous blaster-bolts flying every which-way, and in the center of the conflict, four glowing light-saber blades flashed and sparked madly: two red blades and two violet blades. It was still too far away to tell which was the telltale cross-section light-saber that Ben favored, but the violet blades were very obviously Rey's. Even as he watched, one of the red blades flickered and was extinguished as a tiny figure crumpled to the ground. Luke saw the three remaining blades then turned to the Stormtoopers, as he sensed another problem. A massive, thin, frail-looking figure strode slowly into the fray. "He's here," whispered Luke in fear, "Snoke is here. Poe, fly low with the landing ramp open. We don't have time to do this properly; either we get them, _now_ , or they're both dead. Hurry, for goodness' sake, hurry!"

Stunned by the raw panic in the old Jedi's voice, Poe pressed the throttle forward, hard. "Poe! Bring the _Falcon_ lower! Bring it right over them!" Below them, they saw Kylo Ren look up at them before shouting something to Rey; she turned into him, disengaged her light-saber, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Finn watched from behind the closed air-locked door in the passageway as Kylo Ren Force-Jumped, seeming to use every ounce of strength he possessed, and caught hold of the loading ramp – barely. As his fingers began to slip, Rey climbed quickly up Kylo Ren's body, raising the hairs on Finn's arms. Just as Finn thought Kylo Ren would fall, Rey lunged for him, saying, "Oh, no you don't! I've got you. I won't let you fall." Rey leaned back, digging her heels into the grooves in the floor and pulled with all her strength. Finn's eyes narrowed as the Knight of Ren was dragged slowly into the ship. As they cleared the ramp, Luke punched the button to close the ramp; the two new arrivals collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs, each panting heavily. Finn turned to open the air-lock, turning back just in time to see Kylo Ren pull Rey towards him and kiss her passionately.

Finn thought his eyes would pop out of his head. He felt Poe come up short beside him, an odd gagging noise coming from his throat. Luke cleared his throat and said, "Well. This is...unexpected." _That,_ thought Finn, _is the understatement of the millennium._ As Finn stared at them, Rey moved to wrap an arm around Kylo's shoulders. It was then that, with a nauseating lurch in his gut, Finn realized that Kylo Ren was missing his left arm, just below the elbow, and his right leg, exactly at the knee, where it had been replaced with some kind of curved metallic apparatus that looked like it had been made from scraps. Luke had seen it first, however, "Ben...what happened?"

The rest of the day was spent hearing the exciting tale of _how Rey fell in love with Ben_. Finn felt nauseous, just thinking about it. Sitting across from Poe later that evening, Finn thought how strange, bordering on absurd, his day had been. There had been a vicious, revenge-fueled Wookie attack that was stopped by the very same dead man that Chewie had been attempting to avenge; there was Rey yelling at Luke, and then Luke informing everyone, neat-as-you-please, that Rey and "Ben,' as everyone was calling him now, were Force-Bonded, if you please. The topper, though, was watching Rey lovingly patch up her dear mass-murderer, then announce that they would be sharing a room before leading the aforementioned mass-murderer _to_ that room as if it was normal. The whole thing turned Finn's stomach. Poe, seeming to pick up on Finn's mood, glanced up, "I can't believe we're just supposed to welcome him back like nothing's wrong? I'd really rather slit his throat while he sleeps."

Finn snorted, "Yeah, I know what you mean. But I don't think Rey would ever forgive you. I felt them out earlier, and whatever it is that's between them, it isn't forced, it isn't fake, and it's not _Ben_ messing with her mind. Anything else, I couldn't confirm without going deep enough for the to notice me. I hate to say this, but I think we're just going to have to trust Rey's judgment for now until we have irrefutable evidence that he really _has_ changed."

Poe scowled but nodded, "Alright. But that doesn't mean we have to like it, or _him_. We'll just keep a close eye on him until then. And hopefully when we reach D"Qar, we'll have quarters _extremely_ far away from them." When Finn raised an inquiring eyebrow, Poe said, "I could sense everything you were, because of our bond. I know _exactly_ what they were up to in there, and it makes me want to _puke_."

Finn snorted out a laugh, "Yeah, I'm sure it does. Kylo Ren is getting laid, but you're not! Great morale boost!" Finn chortled as Poe flushed a deep crimson.

"You're...that's not...shut up. At least I _have_ access to girls! Yours is..." Poe all but swallowed his tongue in an effort to stop the words from coming out of his mouth, but it was too late. Shame flooded him as hurt and shock spread across Finn's face. Poe looked at his hands, which were clasped on the table, too ashamed to look Finn in the eye. "I'm sorry, Finn. That was a terrible thing to say. I don't know what came over me."

Poe looked up when Finn put a hand over Poe's clasped hands with a kind look on his face, though the shadow of hurt was still there. "It's okay, Poe. I know you didn't mean it. We're all a little on-edge, what with the way things ended up. I was expecting to have that bastard in shackles, not shacked up with my friend, being treated like some honored guest." Poe smirked and looked towards Rey's room with a sneer.

"I don't care what she says, or what he's done. I can't see myself ever trusting that son of a bitch."

Finn nodded, "I'm going to have to agree."

Just then, someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Finn and Poe jumped, looking guiltily across the room to see Luke standing there, arms crossed, a kind but stern look on his face. "I don't blame either of you for being...hesitant, but be careful what you say. You may _think_ Ben is asleep, but he's not. He is currently lying awake in their bed, listening to every word that you say. If you think your words don't hurt him, then the two of you are fools. Now. I suggest the two of you go and get some rest. Things will, no doubt, be clearer in the morning. Goodnight," he finished, leaving no room for discussion.

Finn and Poe stood, looking properly ashamed of themselves, "Goodnight, Master Skywalker," they said quietly; both of them left the room in silence, each dwelling on the terrible things he had said.

As he watched them head to their quarters, Luke said quietly to himself, "Oh, Han. What are we going to do with them?"

Hearing a chuckle behind him, Luke spun around to see Han standing behind him, leaning on the bulkhead like he always had with the very same effortless, roguish grace that had won him Luke's sister's heart. "'What are we going to do with them?' Really? You have to ask? Damn, you _are_ getting old. That, or you spent too damn long on that island without the benefit of any sentient life around you. You've just forgotten how to handle young people, that's all. You'll remember; at least _you_ can keep up with them! I found myself struggling. What's really bothering you?"

Luke sighed and _thumped_ into a chair, "It's Ben. How can I know what his motives are? How can I be sure that he can be trusted? Han, I just don't know what I'm supposed to _do_ with him."

Han sighed as he took the seat opposite his old friend, "See, that's where you've always gone wrong with the Kid. You're always looking for 'what to do' with him. You need to see, instead, what you can do _for_ him. Or, failing that, what you can do _with_ him. See the difference? Rather than finding somewhere to put him, give him something to _do_. He needs a task; he _is_ half Skywalker, remember? Remember how it was after you lost your hand? You felt like you were useless for a long time. Then there was your whole time on Tattooine. You felt that if you didn't do something to help, you'd go mad. Well, Ben is much the same way; he has knowledge. _Use_ it."

Luke's brow furrowed thoughtfully, "So, you're saying to trust him? Huh. So, essentially, give him what he wants? Alright, I suppose I can do that. Once. But if this turns out to be a trap and Rey is already turned..."

Han laughed as his brother-in-law, "Stop over thinking everything. You need to go with your gut, buddy. There's still a good person buried under all my son's bluster. You just have to find it, before it's too late. For him, _and_ for you." Han smiled as his voice faded into a distant echo and his roguish grin vanished from sight.

Not long after Finn had retired to his own quarters, the weariness of his day caught up with him. He quickly struggled into his pajama pants and crawled into bed. As he floated between the worlds of wakefulness and sleep, he heard a voice.

" _Finn. Finn, open your eyes."_

 _As Finn obliged, he saw that he was in a room made completely of white; the furniture was white, the walls were white, the ceiling was even white. "Where am I?" He asked the seemingly-empty room._

 _Hearing a giggle behind him, Finn spun around, and what he saw had his mouth hanging open. "Hello," said Twila, "You should see the look on your face. As for where we are, That's a bit...relative. We aren't really anywhere, exactly. This is a limbo in the Force, where we can talk. Essentially,m we're in a 'neutral zone' that Force-Users use to have conferences, as it were. Basically, it's a dream."_

 _Finn chuckled, "You could have started with that, you know. 'It's a dream' would be a lot easier to understand." Twila smiled at him and, coming close, she wrapped her arms around him so that her head rested on Finn's chest. "I've missed you, Twila."_

 _Her head shifted against his chest as she nodded, "I know. I've missed you, too. I'm still on Tattooine, myself. Where are you?" She pulled back, watching him curiously._

 _"_ _I'm on the_ Falcon _. We had to get to Ord Biniir; our friend that we told you about, Rey, was in trouble. It was like the whole of the First Order was there, trying to take her. Hell, even Snoke was there." Finn pulled away with a small growl and began to pace the room._

 _Meanwhile, Twila's eyes went huge, "Snoke was there? Your friend must be very important." At Finn's snort, Twila's brow crumpled in confusion, "What's the matter? I thought she was your friend. She isn't important?"_

 _Finn turned to look at Twila, "No, that's not it. It's who came on board_ with _her. Kylo fucking Ren. And we're supposed to just accept him being here, and we're supposed to treat him kindly, with respect, and so forth. The bastard almost killed me, and I'm supposed to just deal with him and smile, like it's no big deal! I'm supposed to call him_ Ben _, just because he's got some kind of_ thing _going on with Rey. I can't and won't trust that guy."_

 _Twila's eyes had been growing steadily wider throughout Finn's rant, by the end of which, he was shouting so loudly that Twila's ears rang. "Finn, calm down, please. You'll destabilize our connection. Are you saying that Kylo Ren is on the_ Falcon _with you?" At Finn's nod, she grew concerned, "Explain to me why he's there, and not in chains somewhere."_

 _Finn drew in a deep breath and began, "Well, I suppose in short, it's because he supposedly has a Force-Bond with Rey. The romantic kind. The kind where if I sneak into that son of a bitch's room and slit his throat, it'll probably kill Rey, too. All I know for sure is they've been alone together on that planet for nearly a month, and now they're acting like they are so in love, and so forth. It's nauseating."_

 _Twila grew silent as she thought, "Finn, let's think about this for a moment. Who told you they're Bonded?"_

 _Finn walked closer to Twila, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head, "My Master told us. I couldn't corroborate without giving away my secret; as far as I know, Rey and 'Ben' aren't supposed to know."_

 _Twila nodded her understanding, "Would Luke lie to you?" Finn shook his head no, "Well, then I'd trust your Master's judgment, since you seem unable or unwilling to trust Rey's. Do you believe Ben loves her?"_

 _Taken aback at the question, Finn opened his mouth to answer, expecting to be asked if Rey was is love with Ben. But this new angle...he hadn't even considered it before. Finn thought carefully over the evidence he_ did _have; the most glaring of these being the man's missing limbs. He thought over how hard Ben had fought to keep Rey safe, and the quiet looks Ben would shoot at Rey. He thought about the gentle, unconscious touches between the pair and the happy, satisfied look that was in Ben's eye when he looked at Rey. As all these things came together in Finn's mind, he drew his eyebrows together in a frown, "Yes," came his stunned reply, "I believe he does love her."_

 _Twila chuckled into Finn's chest, "Then trust in that. Love is an incredible thing; it can change the most ruthless, heartless being into one of greater character and deep thought. I think you should just wait and see. Protect him while you can with the mindset that if anything were to happen to him, Rey would be devastated. Protect him in the interest of protecting your friend."_

 _Finn smiled as he pressed a kiss into her hair, "How did you get to be so smart?"_

 _Twila chuckled, "I'm female. It comes with the territory. Now, let's not discuss Ben and Rey any more. I just want to stay here like this with you until I wake." Finn nodded as Twila took his hand and led him to the bed. They sank onto it, content to simply hold each other in silence until they woke._

***Author's Note***

Everybody say, Awwwwwwwww! lol. Anyway, I know, still no heavy lemon between Finn and Twila; there's going to be, I promise, but this is more of a slow burn than my last story. You lot who've read For The Girl know how I love my lemon, so have no fear; it's coming. I'm hoping this one will be about the same length as For The Girl (32 chapters), and once this one is done, I'll be starting the sequel to For The Girl, entitled "The Darksaber Resurfaces". Thank you for reading, and as ever, please leave a comment in the reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

***Author's Note***

So, as many of you know, this story is a parallel one. If you haven't read For The Girl yet, then this chapter and many of the following will leave you somewhat confused. We've reached the part where Finn and Poe's story meets back up with Rey and Ben's, obviously. I'm hoping that everyone reading this has already read For The Girl, but if not, please do. Lots of plot, some that you've already seen in my previous story, but told from Finn and Poe's perspective, and the ride is just beginning! Enjoy! ^_^

***Author's Note***

Finn woke in the morning to find his bed empty and the smell of Twila everywhere. With a fuzzy head, Finn sat up trying to think. His shoulders slumped as the "dream" came back to him; she had never truly been in his bed. The whole thing had been a manifestation of the Force, or whatever you want to call it. He ran his hands over his face, feeling depressed; it was almost like losing her again. To have had Twila so near to him that he could smell her, _feel_ her in his arms, and wake to find that it had only been a dream and yet be haunted by her scent...yes. It was very like losing her again. The knot in Finn's chest loosened slightly as he realized that the anomaly may well happen again that night.

Finn sighed, acknowledging that he would be getting no more sleep and rose to get dressed. Casting a thought towards Poe, Finn found that the man was still asleep. Shrugging his jacket on, Finn left his quarters and headed for the galley to make some tea. He sighed again as he went over his conversation with Twila the night before, just one more time in his head. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Finn would just have to trust Rey and see what happened. Finn sensed that Poe was waking, so he prepared a second mug of tea and placed it on the table as leaned against the counter, holding his own mug. As Poe entered the room and grunted a greeting, Finn gestured to the mug of tea that was waiting for Poe. Poe grunted again, this time in thanks as he sat and clasped the steaming mug between his hands, scowling. It seemed that sleep had not improved his mood.

Just then, Finn sensed Rey begin to stir. Pushing away from the counter, Finn spoke, "Rey's getting up; better put on your happy face." Finn sat, rotating his mug between his hands, enjoying the warmth on his skin. He looked up as he heard Rey's footsteps approaching, "How are you feeling, Rey?" He asked, and in a voice that only slightly betrayed his annoyance, he added, "And I suppose I should ask how Ben is doing."

Rey smiled, knowing the effort it was taking Finn to be nice, "I'm feeling much better, Finn. Ben's doing alright. He's hurting more than he lets on, but that's not terribly surprising; he's as stubborn as his father. He'll be alright once his leg heals and we get him a proper one, as well as a new arm. He'll be so thrilled," Rey sighed a the thought.

Poe reached his arm around Rey's shoulders, "We were so scared when you ran off into the jungle and nobody heard from you after that. We figured he'd tracked you down and murdered you. So, what _did_ happen on Yavin-4?"

"He saved my life, Poe. I know you have little reason to trust him, or even like him for that matter, and I don't blame you in the slightest. But I've really gotten to know him in the last month or so," Poe nearly choked on his tea at this as Finn heard, _Yeah. We know exactly how well you've gotten to know him..._ Finn thought back, _Be. Nice._ They returned their attention to Rey, who had resumed speaking, "He's not at all like I expected. There's so much vulnerability under the mask. He's lost so much, and there's so much pain and anger over it. Some of it, he'll never recover from. But in many areas, he has improved so much that I hardly recognize him."

Finn decided it was time to speak up, "All I need to know is this: Do you love him? I can't imagine you loving anyone who was totally beyond hope. Watching her eyes soften and a gentle smile spread across her lips, Finn knew; he didn't need her answer, but she gave it anyway.

"I can't say quite yet, but I care deeply for him. I'll not answer that question properly until I've told Ben how I feel. I hope you understand, Finn."

Finn stifled the impulse to smile as he nodded, "If you two haven't had that conversation yet, then that's the best answer I can expect, but I think I already know what the answer will be." Finn took a steadying breath. In point of fact, he knew all too well how she felt, as it was exactly how he felt about Twila. "In that case, I, at least, will do my level best to help Ben whenever I can. I know he means a great deal to you, and I'll try to be welcoming. For you; not necessarily for him, just yet. But we've got a few days yet, before we reach D'Qar. Who knows what might happen between now and then?" Finn smiled warmly at Rey and stood as he held out his hand for her; Rey took it, and Finn pulled her close into a friendly hug.

"Let me ask you something, Finn," began Poe, "Is the Kylo Ren on this ship the same Kylo Ren you served under?"

Finn frowned as he compared the two in his mind, "Well, I'm not sure who that man sleeping in there, but he's definitely not Kylo Ren. We're dealing with someone entirely new here. The Kylo Ren I served under would kill you just for seeing his face." _Especially after_ Starkiller, he added mentally for Poe's benefit, "I don't think Kylo Ren even exists anymore."

Rey's head snapped up like someone had called her name, "He's awake. I'd better go help him up."

As Rey hurried for the room, Finn caught Poe's eye as he sat down, "What?" he asked in response to Poe's accusatory glare as he stood to make breakfast.

Poe groaned in disgust at his friend, "I saw that. I saw everything that was going on in your head, _including_ the conversation you had with Twila last night. You're going to make me be nice to that bastard, aren't you?"

Finn smirked slightly, "Well, if you can't manage to be nice, do your best to be civil, won't you?"

Poe growled halfheartedly, "Fine. I'll try. Now; tell me, quick as you can, how the hell you managed to talk with Twila last night!?"  
Finn sighed, "That's sort of a long story. Apparently, there's a kind of Force limbo where your body is asleep but your mind is elsewhere; you can stay there as long as you are meditating or sleeping, but your mind does not weary. Anything that can happen here can happen there. I woke this morning smelling her in my bed, and I'm sure that she woke smelling me in _her_ bed. It's difficult, this whole Force-Bond thing."

Poe chuckled. "You're telling me? I've never been one for these weird connection things, but even I can't deny how strong they are." Finn stared at Poe for a full minute, a half-smile on his face before Poe finally realized why Finn was smiling, "Oh, damn. I just answered my own question of why should I be nice to Ben, didn't I?"

Finn chuckled, "Yes, Poe. Yes, you did."

Poe laid his head on the table and groaned. "Alright, alright. I'll try to be nice; no promises, though."

Finn smiled as he slid eggs and bacon onto four plates, "Well, here's your chance; they'll be coming out in a minute." Poe groaned again as he dug in to his food. They both looked up at the sound of the signature thump-clink, thump-clink, thump-clink that had become Ben's stride. As they entered the room, Rey with her arm around Ben to help him walk, Finn said, "I figured you two would be up soon, so I saved some for you. Hope it's not completely disgusting."

Ben laughed. "I've been eating _Rey's_ cooking for the last month." He ducked as Rey swung at him. "Lizards, mostly. But then, that's not her fault. That's all there was on that forsaken planet." Rey shook her head at him, chuckling.

Poe shook his head as he watched them,"It's weird, seeing you two so completely comfortable with each other. I'm used to the two of you trying to kill each other; I guess a month can really change everything, can't it?" He cleared his throat and straightened. "Ben; I've come to a decision. I'm going to try. I don't know how long it's going to take, and I'm not sure if I'll ever trust you, but I'm going to try to be cordial, at least."

"Well; I appreciate your...candor. I know you have little to no reason to trust me, Poe. But I will do my best to earn that trust." They ate their meal in silence until Luke entered the room and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"I think it would be a good idea for the three of us to meditate together. And for me, personally, it might help alleviate some of my fears where Ben is concerned."

Ben nodded; "I think that is an excellent idea, Uncle. It should be restful. I always found your presence reassuring when I was younger. I'm finished, if Rey is ready." At Rey's nod, Ben rose from the small table and offered her his hand.

Finn and Poe glanced at each other as the three left together, "Huh. Well, I guess that leaves us to clean up," Finn chuckled at Poe's irritation.

"I don't mind. You go ahead and be cross...I'll do the work." Poe laughed as he stood to help Finn clear the plates. "I'll keep an eye on what's going on in there, don't you worry. I'll let you know if something happens."

"What I want to know," mused Poe, "is how Luke know Twila on sight. It doesn't make sense, unless he had a vision of you together with her, of course. I don't know, I'm just guessing. I don't really understand how the Force works, and I'm not really sure I _want_ to know." Poe shook his head and drifted into silence.

Finn smiled at Poe, "Actually, I was thinking the same thing. He must have had a vision regarding her. She was completely confused as far as how he knew her, so I can't imagine her having known him before. The other theory I had was that maybe she was once a student of his, but that theory doesn't make sense, unless her memory was erased and replaced with something else to protect her from the First Order. I don't know, but I guess we'll have to wait and find out until we find her again. I sincerely doubt that Luke will tell us anything without her being here, so speculation will get us exactly nowhere."

Poe nodded, "Yeah, I'm going to have to agree. Why don't you go get some training in while they're in there?"

Finn nodded, "Yeah, I think I'll run a couple rounds, just to keep in shape. But I'm not going to tell them anything about my abilities just yet. I don't want to do that until I have definite proof that Ben's not going to turn coat on us and start reporting back to the First Order." Finn headed for the cargo bay, unlocking it via the identification pad and programmed in a couple of rounds, not wanting to overdo it and have Rey and/or Ben find him out. Casting a gentle strand of thought in their direction, he sensed that they were still deep in their meditation. Two hours of training and a turn in the 'fresher later, and they _still_ weren't out yet.

Poe sat in the recreation area, watching Finn as he got that blank look on his face that told Poe he was elsewhere, and Poe thought he could guess where. His guess was that Finn was checking up on their friends, who had been at that meditation thing for almost four hours, and nothing. Not a sound, not a movement came from that room. Suddenly, Finn's head jerked up, "Something's happened," he said as he stood and rushed to the meditation room. Poe followed, wondering at his bond-brother's abilities. If he hadn't seen it himself, Poe never would have guessed that Finn, of all people, had the ability to use the Force. He skidded to a halt beside Finn as they stood, listening to what the others had seen through the Force. Poe's fear grew as he was told of the mysterious "Master Ren" and his ruthlessness with Snoke, who, it turned out, was actually the _apprentice_ and not the master, as had been assumed for so long. Poe's head felt like it was too full and that it would burst at any moment. _This is just too much_ , he thought, _How much new information am I supposed to digest at one time. First, we're supposed to just accept that Kylo Ren is now called Ben and is our side. Then I find out that Finn is a Force-User and we have this ridiculous Force-Bond. Now, there's some new threat called Master Ren that even_ Ben _is afraid of and that he enjoys torturing his own people! What's next? Is Chewie going to sprout gills!?_ Finn glanced at Poe, a half-smile on his face, _Don't worry; I'm just as flummoxed as you are. But the one good bit of news is that this vision of theirs will have us hurrying to D'Qar at full speed; we'll be back there before you know it._ Poe gave Finn a look of sheer gratitude; it would be good to be around _normal_ people again.

***Author's Note***

Yaaay! Back to D'Qar! Okay, so, can we all just say, "Poor Finn?" Why am I so mean to my characters? I don't think I'll ever know. Anywho, hope you enjoyed. I'll put up more either tonight or tomorrow morning. Until then, thanks for reading, and feel free to leave your honest reactions in the reviews section!


	19. Chapter 19

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, everybody! Bit of comic relief for you in this chapter. Oh, man; I was laughing writing this chapter; hope you enjoy!

***End Note***

Two days later, they _Falcon_ landed safely on D'Qar. Finn and Poe, eager to be back on somewhat friendly ground, headed for the ramp only shortly after Luke, who was anxious to see his twin. Poe, slightly ruffled that Rey had insisted on flying the _Falcon_ herself, was uncharacteristically quiet. Chewie followed quietly along behind, and the trio was greeted quite enthusiastically by the assembled mass of people. It seemed that tales of their exploits had begun to spread. Finn turned to say something to Rey, but found that she was not there. Glancing around, he finally found her, still at the top of the ramp.

Finn was confused for a moment, until Rey held her hand out behind her, a look of serene encouragement on her face. _Of course,_ Finn realized, _Ben is feeling nervous about his return, and well he should be._ Even as Finn watched, he saw Ben limp hesitantly forward and place his hand trustingly into Rey's as the pair stepped into the sunlight, being careful of Ben's rather awkward prosthetic. It would have been funny if Finn couldn't sense the sheer terror around him as the Resistance got a good look at their new arrival. There were gasps of shock and even a couple of screams. Watching Ben carefully, Finn saw genuine discomfort (and was that fear?) flit over the former-Knight's face. Nudging Poe, Finn gestured towards the couple heading towards Leia. Poe nodded and they began to make their way towards the others. As they drew near, they saw Ben and the General wrap each other in a long, tight embrace as they spoke to one another. He couldn't hear what was said, but whatever it was, Finn saw that it had brought tears to Ben's eyes. Not that the man would admit it later, of course. Rey caught Finn's eye and headed towards them as Ben hobbled off with his good arm around his mother and the General's head on his arm.

Smiling widely, Poe remarked, "So; looks like you're stuck with us _normal_ people for a while. It'll be nice for the normal people," he added quietly to himself.

Finn rolled his eyes and laughed, "You do know we can hear you, right?" Finn wrapped an arm around Rey's waist and Poe wrapped an arm around Rey's shoulder; the three walked into the compound that way, looking like the perfect welcome home. What Finn hoped Rey _didn't_ hear were the whispers of doubt and judgment that followed them. Casting a sidelong glance at her, he sent her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. She smiled back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, and that told Finn all he needed to know. Reaching for Poe with his mind, he thought, _Let's get her away from all these whispers, huh? She's getting pretty upset_. Poe glance at Rey, then caught Finn's eye and nodded.

"Hey, let's go to mine and Finn's quarters, huh? Hmm. Where exactly _are_ our quarters?" BB-8, who had been following them so silently that his appearance took them all by surprise (so much so that the three jumped in unison), beeped excitedly, "You know? How do you know? Ah, never mind, little buddy. Lead on!" Following the little droid, they soon came to their designated quarters.

Out of sheer curiosity, Rey asked, "BB-8, where will Ben and my quarters be located?" The droid beeped and whirred; Poe blanched.

"What?" asked Finn.

Poe flushed, then blanched again, "They're," he swallowed hard, "They're going to be right next door." Finn groaned and Rey giggled.

"Sorry, you two; we'll try to keep it down."

Finn and Poe spoke as one, "No, you won't." The three glanced from one to the other before bursting into hysterical giggles.

"Hey, Poe, don't we have come Corellian wine around here somewhere?

Poe thought a moment before answering Finn's query, "Yeah, hang on let me dig it out." He emerged shortly with a triumphant, "Ah-HAH! Hey, isn't this the bottle we tricked that guy into thinking it was half empty so Twila could..." Poe stopped talking hurriedly, leaving Rey to look between Poe's abashed expression and Finn's hurt one.

"Okay, I've obviously missed something. Who's Twila?" Even as she asked, Finn' face contorted into a pain-filled grimace, "If you'd rather not talk about it..."

Finn shook his head, "No; it's okay. She's, uh well, I met her on Naboo while Poe and I were on a mission from the General. Turned out she was hugely helpful to us. There's really not that much to tell."

Poe stared at his brother in disbelief, "'Not that much to tell?' _Really_ , Finn!? 'Not that much to tell?' Okay, Rey; I'll fill you in. I'm sure you noticed that before we were separated, Finn had a _massive_ crush on you." This comment had Finn groaning and taking a massive chug of wine before passing the bottle to Rey, who raised an eyebrow and nodded sagely, "When we arrived on Naboo, there was a massive ball that was held in our honor; that was where they met. The first time he saw her, I could feel his reaction to her through our Force-Bond. He fell for her, hard, immediately. She's a Twi'lek, by the way; beautiful pale blue skin and these stunning pink eyes," Poe glanced at Finn to see the murderous look on his friend's face as Poe described Twila. He hurried on, "Well, anyway, he fell for her, and she fell for him, just as fast. By the time we left, the two were mad about each other, so Chewie decided to ask her to come with us. She agreed, but at the last moment, the General recalled us, giving us no time to get her and she was left behind. We'll find her again, though, buddy. Don't worry about that. We'll find her." Poe reached over to lay a hand on Finn's shoulder as Rey took a thoughtful swig from the bottle.

"You know...maybe Ben and I could help find her. It's entirely possible that we could search for her in the Force and..." She broke off as Finn shook his head at her.

"Thanks for the offer, Rey, but I think we need to find each other again on our own. I can't say why; it just... _feels_ right." Rey sent Finn a knowing glance, the hint of a smile fluttering around the corners of her mouth.

Handing the bottle to Poe, she took Finn's hand in her own, "I understand completely; maybe better than you think." She pulled her dear friend into a tight embrace and kissed him soundly on the cheek.

Taking his turn with the bottle, Poe asked, "So, where is our one-legged...friend, anyway? I saw him leave with the General, but where did they go?"

Rey smiled, "They went to get Ben some new limbs. It's hard to fight when you've only got one arm and one leg. He'll be alright, though. The doctors here are fantastic."

Finn smirked into the bottle, "Yeah, I know. I was under their care for a long time, remember?"  
Rey gasped in a little breath, "Oh, that's right; wow. I can't believe we haven't caught up since then. How did that go, by the way? Is that why you two are inseparable? Because I definitely don't think it's because the two of you are gay, though there's a lot of talk to the contrary."

Poe and Finn both groaned while Rey giggled, "Ugh. Finn and I have been trying to kill that particular rumor since it started, but we have been dreadfully unsuccessful. Nobody will believe that I'm a philanderer and Finn is, well, how should I say it?"

Finn rolled his eyes, "Virgin, Poe. The word you're looking for is virgin. Yes, I'm a virgin; it's not like I had any opportunities when I was in the First Order; they frown on relationships; they're a distraction, they say."

Rey choked on her wine and Poe burst into hysterical laughter, "I'm not sure if you're just in an extremely honest mood, or if the wine's going to your head! But, yes. That was the word I was trying not to say. And of course, the poor bastard shares quarters with _me_ , of all people."

Rey chuckled, "Yeah, I can see how that would be...odd."

Poe groaned, "Oh, crap, here we go. Here's a new idea: how about we shut up and drink?" The other two laughed and obliged him. They stayed talking until the bottle was empty, and it was well into the night.

Rey watched blearily as Finn's jaw went slack and his eyes glassy; he had been wobbling dangerously from side to side for hours now; Rey didn't think he was even aware that he was moving, "I think..." she started before she utterly forgot what she was saying; screwing up her face and thinking hard, she started again, "I think...I think I should be going now...'M' tired...Droid...where's...droid?"

"Mph?" was all Finn could say in his glassy-eyed state as he continued to stare at the wall.

From Poe's position on the floor, where he had somehow managed to make a sort of fort using the pillows and blankets from his and Finn's beds (at least, it _was_ a sort of fort before it collapsed on him and he got all tangled up), there came a muffled, "I gotcha...I know where you gotta go...Let'sh getcha there..." Poe began to struggle feebly with the "fort", but all he managed was to wind himself tighter. He stared drunkenly around, "Don't think that'sh right...How...get out?"

Uncertain if she could stand, Rey crawled over to Poe and began to try to unravel him; by this time, Finn's attention had finally been drawn away from the ever-fascinating wall he'd been examining and was watching his friends struggle with the mess of fabric, teetering and wobbling madly as a high-pitched giggle began to stumble from his lips. Distracted, Rey glanced over at him, just as Poe's hand slipped from the blanket he was trying to unwind, sending his elbow straight into Rey's face. She reeled over backwards, landing in an unconscious heap on the floor. "Hunh..'At worksh," Poe mumbled before losing consciousness, himself. Still giggling, Finn crawled over to his bed and tried to climb in, but found the distance to be just to great. Glancing blearily around, Finn giggled to himself at his own cleverness before shushing himself to be quiet. Finn opened the closet door and began pulling down any scrap of clothing he could find, making a kind of nest for himself. Curling up in his improvised "bed", Finn sighed happily, which turned quickly into a massive snore. None of them knew any more until morning.

As awareness returned to Poe, he groaned, wishing he were dead; glancing to his left, he found a bare, distinctly _female_ foot directly in his face. "Ungh," was all he could say through the pounding in his head. Just then, the foot twitched, catching him square in the nose. "Fuck. Ow, shit. Son of a bitch..."

Just then, Rey came to consciousness at the profanities streaming from Poe's mouth. Seeing what had happened, she muttered, "Oops, sorry. By bad." Running her hands over her face, Rey felt the massive lump that was her swollen lips, and the crooked spot where Poe's elbow had connected; her eyes narrowed, "You broke by doze..."

"Nungh...Sorry...I think mine's fine, by the way. How's your head?"

Rey groaned and her face turned slightly green as she whimpered. From across the room, they heard a muffled moan. Glancing curiously at each other, Rey and Poe lifted themselves up carefully, each wobbling dangerously. What they saw was beyond explanation. Poe had somehow managed to spread his "nest" all over the room, which had Rey giggling quietly. Poe, however, looked like he might have a coronary. Not only was the closet now completely empty, Finn was buck-naked. "Hungh?" was all he could say. Looking down at himself, he followed that brilliant observation with, "Mfgh!" which sent Rey into more giggles.

"I think I'd better go," she said quietly, "Which room was it?" Poe pointed to the wall to his his left and Rey stumbled out of the room to let the boys handle the mess on their own.

Later that morning, the three sat at breakfast, eating the best hangover cure they could come up with. Finn, however, had remembered Twila's tea and requested it special, just for them. The cook had looked at them knowingly and nodded as he smirked before tossing the required ingredients into a large tea pot and filling it with boiling water. Laughing, he handed it to Finn, "Welcomed your friend back a little to enthusiastically, did you?" Finn groaned in acknowledgment as he headed back to the table where Poe and Rey were waiting.

As he sat, Rey leaned in, "There's a strategic meeting later; the General wants the three of us there."

Poe stared at Rey, " _That's_ what's different! You fixed your face!"

Rey chuckled at him, "Yeah, and if you lean forward, I'll fix yours, too." Poe obliged and Rey held her hand in front of his face for a moment, and the bruising faded away, leaving unblemished skin. "There. Now you're all presentable for the meeting. We'd better hurry up; don't want to miss anything."

***Author's Note***

Okay, well, things are beginning to happen now. Next chapter's gonna be pretty intense. Thanks for reading, and as ever, please leave your reactions in the reviews section.


	20. Chapter 20

***Author's Note***

Okay, so the Endor Liberation, but from Finn's point of view! Don't worry, there's little that you've read before in this one. Oh, this one was fun! Enjoy!

***End Note***

The briefing yesterday morning hadn't gone at all like Finn had expected. It had been going just fine until _Ben_ had stormed in, calm as you please, and announced that the mission his mother had been planning was doomed to fail, and how _he_ had a better one. Then some idiot Captain (who was now on their current mission with them, which Finn just couldn't understand) had taken an admittedly cheap shot at Ben's dead sister and wound up flying through the air and sliding down the wall on the other side of the room. So, the other mission, an attack on Du'Tang station, had been scrapped (Finn had a nagging suspicion that the Du'Tang mission would somehow wind up on his and Poe's shoulders later) they were now on a shuttle, heading for Endor to rescue an army's worth of Force-Sensitives. It wasn't that Finn thought poorly of the plan, quite the contrary. It was a marvelous plan: completely air-tight and utterly foolproof. Finn distrusted anything that was "foolproof."

Just then, Poe thought at Finn, _You're fretting so loudly that I'm surprised the whole damn shuttle can't hear you. Ben's still building his new light-saber, and if that takes him as long as it took you, he'll be out for days. Why don't you come up here and we'll talk about it, if you're so worried?_ Finn sent a wordless agreement and stood to head to the cockpit. Behind him, Rey's eyes followed him, speculation on her face. Ducking into the cockpit, Finn heaved a heavy sigh, prompting Poe to ask, "So, what's wrong? It's a great plan; you think so yourself. What is it that's got you so worried?"

Finn sat in the empty copilot's seat, who was currently resting, and gnawed his lip a moment before answering. "I'm not sure. It's a perfect plan, but I can't help thinking that we've missed something. I don't know; maybe the Force is trying to tell me something. Maybe it's just Ben I don't trust. Maybe I'm just paranoid, I don't know." Poe sent Finn an amused glance and raised an eyebrow as Finn shook his head, as though to clear it. "No. I don't think my personal feelings are clouding my judgment and I don't think I'm paranoid. I think the Force is trying to tell me something." With that acknowledgment, Finn seemed to be able to breathe easier.

Poe shrugged, "Well, then, all I can say is make sure you keep close to Ben and Rey. I know you can't blow your cover just yet, but do what you can through the Force, okay?" Outside, Rey smiled in satisfaction to herself; she'd been right.

Finn crossed his arms over his broad chest and nodded, "Yeah, I'll do that. I don't know if the General's orders extend to her son, but I'm going to act like they do and use my own discretion." Poe nodded his agreement and watched out of the corner of his eye as Finn's eyes slid slowly shut and Finn's head drooped onto Finn's chest. As Finn's breathing slowed and he drifted to sleep, Poe smiled smugly; it was like he thought. Finn just needed to get it off his chest so he could sleep.

A few days later, Finn was jolted out of meditation by a sudden thud and a number of startled gasps, followed by the thrumming of an activated light-saber. Subtly, Finn reached for his own light-saber as he opened his eyes, but dropped his hand when he saw it was only Ben; he was standing, holding two brand-new, green-bladed light-sabers; his old one lay shattered against the wall. He heard Ben whisper, as if to himself, "At last, I am whole once again."

It happened then. The plan unraveled just as quickly as Finn had feared it would. Their arrival was expected, and the plan had to change. Finn's stomach did a sickening roll as he watched Luke, Rey, and Ben jump from the shuttle to save the younglings. _I should be with them,_ he thought to himself His Master, however, had hears him. _It's alright, Finn. Your time will come, and sooner, I think, than you realize._ Finn tried to take solace in that and turned to the rest of the troops.

"Alright, listen up! Master Solo was in charge, but I am taking command of this shuttle from now until we meet up with them!" The shuttle's bay rang with cries of, "Yes, sir!" They stood by quietly, waiting. "Resistance will be far heavier than originally expected, so be ready! Watch out for those around you; we're the only ones who stand between you and those heartless First Order bastards. _Do not_ hesitate to kill them, especially the Stormtoopers! I should know...I used to _be_ one." The troops watched him with renewed respect. "Therefore, when we reach the planet, do _exactly_ as I do! Follow my lead, and we'll get there. Poe?" Poe stepped forward and saluted, "Poe, I need you to put us down as close as you can to that compound, and stay close when we're gone!" Poe saluted again and ran for the cockpit. "The rest of you, remember: stay close and we'll make it through." Just then, the shuttle touched down. "Alright, here we go! Get ready!" _I'll just do what I have to, and damn the consequences._

The rescue party steeled themselves as the ramp lowered. Finn took point as they surged as one down the ramp down the ramp and our of the shuttle into the woods. Suddenly, Poe sensed a small contingent of Stormtroopers waiting for them. He held up his right hand, then clenched it into a fist, calling them to a sudden halt just behind Finn. Already expecting the attack, Finn reached out as blaster-fire erupted on all sides and deflected each bolt _just_ enough to make it seem like the Stormtoopers had _really_ bad aim. Hell, they already had that reputation anyway.

At last, they felled the final Stormtrooper. Surging forward again,t hey crossed the last few hundred feet to the walls of the compound. Just as they reached it, Luke threw open door using the Force before returning to the battle. Finn turned to the Resistance Fighters, "Those children need us! Now, fight as thought they were your own. GO!" On an earsplitting roar, they charged forward, firing into the mass of Stormtoopers. One of the Knights of Ren turned and advanced on Finn. "I've got him; you lot, take those Stormtoopers out!" The Knight laughed as Finn stowed his blaster. Finn only smiled as he bolstered his strength through the Force.

The Knight twirled his light-saber and lunged forward. Finn dodged at the last second so the blade barely grazed Finn's chest, but Finn felt nothing. He turned into his opponent's blow and brought his left elbow up into the man's throat, knocking him back a couple of paces. Finn whipped out his right leg in a vicious side-kick, which landed squarely in the man's chest. His opponent swung his light-saber from the right, causing Finn to dodge hastily out of the way. For a time, the Knight had Finn on the run until Finn ducked , bringing his hand up and grabbing his enemy's wrist, immobilizing the light-saber. Plunging his left hand into his robes, the Knight revealed a dagger, which he stabbed viciously towards Finn, "Die, traitor," the man growled. Finn barely managed to catch the dagger; he twisted hard on the arm holding the dagger, until he heard a resounding _snap_ and a hiss of pain from his opponent. Finn wrenched the dagger from his opponent's grasp, taking it for his own use. By now, Finn could feel the fury rolling off of his opponent and smiled. They entered into a deadly, and seemingly poorly matched, dance; the Knight would lunge with his light-saber, Finn would move out of the way and lunge with the stolen dagger. Finally, Finn allowed the man to score a wound on Finn's back, tricking him into a false sense of security; using his moment, Finn dropped to the ground, rolling under the light-saber. He lunged to his feet and buried the dagger to the hilt in the Knight's armpit. The light-saber shut off with a hiss as it's owner let out one last gurgling moan before crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Finn stepped back from the corpse and shuddered out a breath before slipping the procured dagger into his boot, drawing his blaster, and launching himself back into the fray. He could sense the shock and surprise from the Resistance Fighters at his reappearance; they had all thought him dead. As he charged through the ranks, firing his blaster, a ragged cheer broke out and the Resistance seemed to take on new vigor. In short order, they had dropped the remaining Stormtoopers. In the middle of the courtyard, Ben, Rey, and Luke stood, fighting the three remaining Knights. Finn began to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Something is wrong_ , Finn couldn't quite pin it down, but something was definitely wrong. Ben's opponent was the last to fall to the ground, his head neatly severed from his shoulders. Suddenly, Ben sensed what it was that Finn had noticed. He and Rey sank to the ground to do Powers only knew what. Suddenly, Finn heard Ben's voice, quite clearly in his head: _Wake. Wake up! GET UP! That's it. Get up. They're coming for you. They plan to murder you in your sleep! Wake up, and fight! Fight! Don't let them kill you so easily! Good! Hold out as long as you can; we're coming to get you!_ Finn's head spun slightly at the power of Ben's voice, but he shook it off, knowing he had a job to do.

Turning to the men that were milling aimlessly about, he shouted, "Well, what are you waiting for!? Round up the younglings!" _Poe! We're done down here. We've got to move, fast as we can._ Finn felt Poe's assent and watched as their shuttle came to rest just outside the compound, as there was simply no room _inside_ the compound. "Younglings! You need to come with us, right now, alright? Don't be afraid; we'll see you to safety." The children glanced between themselves, and Finn sensed the thoughts passing between them, knowing they were silently discussing whether or not he could be trusted. At last, they came to the decision that they were, in fact, trustworthy and followed Finn to the shuttle, where Poe was waiting. They finished loading the children as Ben, Rey, and Luke joined them, then flew off to save the adults. The three Force-Users jumped once more from the shuttle, and Finn watched them go, wishing more than anything that he was going with them.

Just then, Finn heard a gasp behind him. In shocked tones, he heard one of the Resistance Fighters behind him say, "Sir, you're wounded! Your back is bleeding badly! Didn't you notice?"

Finn felt up his back in confusion; the wound he had allowed the Knight to score on him was far worse than he thought. "No," he said in surprise, "No, I didn't notice. I didn't even feel it. I _still_ don't feel it." By the time Ben and the others rejoined them with the adult Force-Sensitives, the nickname "No-Nerves" had begun to spread through the shuttle. They said he felt nothing because of the back injury Kylo Ren had given him. It seemed to give him an odd advantage, in that he could feel no pain in his torso; thus, the name No-Nerves was born.

***Author's Note***

Yaaaay! Starting to turn towards a Finn/Twila reunion! Within the next few chapters, they'll be back together, I promise! Okay, as always, leave a review if you like, and thank you for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

***Author's Note***

Good evening, dear ones! So, we've got a bit more Finn/Twila torture in this chapter, with a bittersweet end, but we're so, so close now to a proper reunion! Just a _little_ more patience, and you will be rewarded, hahaha! Enjoy, my dears!

***End Note***

After the Endor Liberation, the General had surprised Finn with a promotion; he was now a Captain. "Captain No-Nerve," they called him. Finn found that he liked the name; it suited him, he thought. Feeling no pain in his torso had its advantages, but Finn was beginning to realize that it wasn't just _pain_ he couldn't feel in his chest and back. He couldn't feel anything _at all_. It seemed that his battle with Kylo Ren had a more lasting effect than anyone had realized. Finn could still feel his arms from about mid-shoulder down and everything below the waist was fine, but everything else was just...numb. It was strange; Finn could feel his chest under his hands, but he couldn't feel his hands on his chest. Finn supposed that the Force within him had saved all that it could, but it could not have saved everything. He was learning to cope with this new realization, but it was difficult not to blame Ben for it.

Finn was learning to see Ben and Kylo Ren as two entirely different people, but it made being around him extremely difficult. It was for that very reason that he had hoped to skip out on tonight's festivities, but as Poe had pointed out, it wouldn't look good if the General's new Captain skipped out on the party that was, partially, being thrown on his behalf. Finn had given in grudgingly and now looked at himself in the mirror, dressed in tunic and trousers of a dusky gold with a white leather belt and matching boots; he had a blaster strapped to his hip and his light-saber stowed in his tunic, just in case. His new rank glittered on his chest as Finn adjusted it self-consciously.

Poe chuckled from behind him, "You look fine. Stop worrying. Sir," Finn smiled and nodded as they headed for the door. They went to collect Rey and Ben from their quarters, which were still right next to their own, much to the discomfort of Finn and Poe, and they were off. The four of them stood at the large double doors that led to the Mess Hall, waiting for only a moment before the doors swung open and they were announced as the "Heroes of Endor." Poe snickered and Ben whispered to Rey, "Heroes of Endor? Now, really, I think she's over-extended herself a bit..." making Rey bite her lip to keep back a giggle. Finn plastered on his best smile as Ben and Rey headed towards the General, while he and Poe made straight for a table full of pilots.

Finn was taken aback as every last one sprang to their feet and saluted him. Flustered, he waved them off, "Sit, please. I'm just a normal guy like the rest of you."

There was a snort from across the table and Poe shot the offender an accusing glare. The man straightened and flushed, "I meant no offense, Sir. I only meant that you're so much better than the rest of us. I was on Endor, Sir. I volunteered because I was curious about Master Solo. I watched you take down that Knight, Sir. I saw firsthand why they call you No-Nerves. It's not just because you feel no pain, Sir, it's also because you're fearless. You ran right past me, blood dripping everywhere, and charging right back in. I wouldn't be surprised to hear some day that you were found out to be a Force-Sensitive, Sir. I've never met a _normal_ guy to have that kind of courage. Not to mention deserting from the First Order. Considering that you and Master Solo are the only two I've _e_ ver heard of doing that, it must be incredibly difficult."

By now, Finn was feeling hugely uncomfortable, and found himself unable to speak intelligently. After many stammered attempts at speech, Poe took pity on him, "Come on, man. You're embarrassing him. Look, let's not talk about Endor right now, okay? Just enjoy yourselves; _we_ are gonna go eat." Poe put an arm around Finn's shoulders and led him to the buffet table that had been set up against one long wall of the Mess Hall. Before long, they had eaten their fill and took to the dance floor.

Suddenly, Finn grabbed hold of Poe, "Hey; did you give Ben that ring? The one that was Valerie's?" Poe nodded and Finn grinned, "Well, he's about to use it!" Finn headed in Ben's direction as he saw a large ring of people forming; he couldn't hear what Ben said from one knee, but he felt Rey's response as she nodded her head. Finn raised a hand to his cheek, surprised to find tears there, and grabbed Poe again as they raced forward to Rey. Their animosity towards Ben forgotten for a while, they wrapped the newly-engaged couple in a rib-cracking hug and called for wine, or champagne, or ale, or _anything_ with alcohol in it, for the Powers' sake. They continued to celebrate until, many hours later, Ben and Rey slipped away for their own private celebration. By this time, Poe had found a pair of pretty, pliable female pilots and was trying to convince them that he and Finn would show them a good time. Suddenly, Finn was in no mood to celebrate.

Leaning in to Poe, he said, "Actually, I think I'm gonna go. No, no; you stay. You promised these lovely ladies a good time. Don't disappoint them, okay?" Poe laughed raucously and thumped Finn heartily on the back and bid him a good night.

Finn stepped thankfully out of the overcrowded, stuffy Mess Hall and into the cooler air of the hallway outside, taking a deep breath gratefully. In no mood to go to their quarters and listen to Ben and Rey "celebrate" all night, Finn left the compound and headed for the woods, Twila heavy on his heart. He missed her more than he could remember ever having missed anything or any _one_ , for that matter. At last, Finn was forced to admit that perhaps Poe was right. Maybe there _was_ a Force-Bond between himself and Twila. Finn shook his head mournfully. He didn't even know where she was, let alone whether or not she missed him as much as he missed her. Staring up at the stars through the trees, Finn couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he thought of her. After what felt to Finn like hours, he dried his tears and returned to the compound. Figuring that Ben and Rey were most likely asleep by now, especially considering how much they'd had to drink, Finn headed for his and Poe's quarters. Luckily, Poe seemed to have taken the girls to one of _their_ quarters, and next door was blessedly silent. Finn stripped off his abruptly too-fancy clothes, leaving them crumpled on the floor in something akin to disgust, and fell naked into bed face-first, where he slid immediately into sleep.

All at once, Finn was no longer alone.

 _"_ _Twila." Finn knew it was her before he opened his eyes to reveal the stark white room ._

 _She smiled sadly at him, "How could you possibly doubt the fact that I miss you? I can't breathe because of the hole you left in my chest. Watching you fly away was almost too much for me. I need you, Finn." Her voice broke on the word "need", and Finn was at her side, wrapping his arms around her in an instant._

 _"_ _Forgive me. Sometimes, it's just so easy to wonder if this...meeting you...falling for you...if it wasn't all just a wonderful dream. I wake up every morning, expecting you to be beside me, but you're not. It's difficult; I've never been this close to someone before. Therefore, I am bound to make some mistakes. Please forgive me?"_

 _Twila smiled as she dried her eyes, "Of course, I forgive you, Finn. Only stop doubting us so easily, okay? What's a little time and distance? What is it they say? Oh, yeah; 'Distance makes the heart grow fonder'. Well, I've found it to be true. I miss you more now than I did when you were ripped from me."_

 _Finn could take no more and, on a wild gasp, crushed his mouth to hers in desperation. She groaned and threw herself into the kiss. It was then that Finn realized that Twila wore little more than an opaque white slip that fell to the floor, and his own clothes were of the same fabric, only tunic and trousers. She began to remove her slip, but Finn stopped her, "No. Not like this; the first time, I want to be physically_ with _you. Do you understand?"_

 _Twila's expression was confused as she answered, "Yes, but I thought...Don't you want...?"_

 _Finn chuckled in exasperation, "Of course I want to lie with you, Twila. It's just that, well, to be perfectly honest, and don't laugh; I've only ever told Poe this. I've a virgin." Finn closed his eyes, waiting for the laugh that never came. He peeked carefully through one eye, then opened both fully to see Twila watching him, understanding in her eyes._

 _"_ _Well, that certainly explains a few things," Twila said as gently as she could. "I knew you wanted me, and I_ certainly _want you, so I couldn't figure out where I was going wrong. I understand waiting to have your literal first time until we're physically together. It makes good sense, really. I should have known there was something more to your hesitation to make love to me here." Twila chuckled quietly to herself._

 _Finn returned her chuckle, "Thank you for being so understanding, my dearest. I just watched on of my best friends get engaged to a man that I'm not sure that I can ever like. I don't know; maybe I just haven't known him long enough. Ah, it doesn't matter. He's her choice, at least what little choice she_ does _have. They're Force-Bonded, so she can't just up and choose somebody else. What do you think?"_

 _Twila shook her head and laughed, "Finn, I think I don't want to talk about this anymore." With that, she molded herself to his body and sunk deeply into a kiss that she wanted to make last all night. And it did._

***Author's Note***

Okay, so I'm starting to wonder whether or not this story's going to go longer than the originally intended 32 chapters...we'll see. Anywho, as ever, writing this chapter was an honor for me. Thank you for reading, and please leave your comments in the reviews section, if you'd like.


	22. Chapter 22

***Author's Note***

Alright, all; hold on tight. This chapter's a wee bit of a doozy. Enjoy!

***End Note***

The next morning, Finn came suddenly awake. Glancing around, he saw a pile of clothes by the 'fresher door; Poe's return must have woken him. And yet, that didn't feel quite right. Something was wrong. The longer Finn was awake, the more certain he was that something was terribly off. He jolted as the 'fresher door opened and Poe stepped out, wrapped in a towel. Glancing at his friend, Poe's brow wrinkled, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Finn shook his head, feeling unsteady, "I'm not sure, Poe. All I know is that something's wrong. I think it's something with Ben, but I can't be certain. Come on; get dressed." Finn scrambled out of bed and threw some clothes on before hastily pinning on his Captain's bars. "I'm never going to get used to these things," he muttered, running a finger over the rank insignia, "Let's go find Ben and find out what's going on." Just as they exited their quarters, Ben and Rey went sprinting past them, already fully dressed in their robes, light-sabers bouncing at their hips. Silently, Finn thanked the Powers that he had thought to stash away his own saber; if _those_ two were already armed, then Finn _knew_ something was wrong. Tossing a nervous glance in Poe's direction, he hurried off after Ben and Rey with Poe hard on his heels.

They raced to Luke's quarters, where he had been expecting them. Finn and Poe sat in silence while Ben paced restlessly; the General finally arrived and the words Finn had been dreading fell like stone, "Master Ren is coming," Ben whispered. The whole room grew still, and every face paled. "He's coming here."

Everything seemed to fall away, leaving Finn in an oppressive cocoon of silence. He'd known; somehow, he'd know that Ren was coming here. Finn had only seen him once, but just that one look had been enough to leave a lifelong impression. The massive being filled Finn's mind as terror threatened to overwhelm him. Through his fear, he heard Ben talking about the Force-Sensitives they had rescued from Endor and how they could well and truly turn the tide of the battle, if they could be persuaded to fight. A glimmer of hope blossomed in Finn's chest, growing in strength as the idea took root. There would be massive losses on both sides, but Ben was right. This was their only hope other than fleeing, and Finn didn't think Ben had it in him to run. His senses returned to him as Ben, Rey, and Luke rushed from the room. Poe glanced down at Finn, concerned, "Are you okay, buddy?"

Finn nodded, "Yeah; I was just a little...caught off-guard. I've got to figure out which troops I'll be taking command of. Either way, I'm hoping whoever is actually going to be in charge will let us be wherever Ben, Rey, and Master Luke are. The way I see it, those three will be so focused on the Knights that they may well forget to block blaster-fire. I want enough troops to draw the fire away from those three. Come on, buddy; let's go find who's in charge." Together, the pair rushed out of the room, heading for the training fields.

Before they were even halfway there, they heard someone behind them call out, "Captain Finn!" They turned to see Captain Morris running towards them. "Master Solo has put me in charge of the ground troops as acting General. I am placing three companies under your command. You are to protect our most valuable assets."

Finn smiled ruefully, "Good. So, we're on Rey, Ben, and Luke, then."

Morris raised an eyebrow, "Yes, of course. Who else would I have meant?"  
Finn snorted, "Nobody; don't worry about it, Sir. We'll do our jobs. Where can I find my men?"

Morris paused a moment, studying Finn, "They'll be on the training grounds." The acting General paused for a moment, "Captain, I was on that shuttle. I saw the way you took command without a second thought. I was out of my depth, and I knew it. But you, Captain, you knew what needed to be one and you did it with no hesitation. You earned the respect of every man and woman on that shuttle, myself included."

Finn was momentarily taken aback, "To be honest, sir? I had completely forgotten that there were any officers aboard or I probably wouldn't have taken command like that. For that, Sir, I apologize. I'm glad that I did, though. If you were that out of your depth, perhaps it was for the best. Sir."

Morris smiled, "Soldier through-and-through, aren't you? Just be careful out there, okay?"

Finn nodded, "I will, Sir. Thank you." Together, Finn and Poe headed for the training grounds, but Finn paused and turned back to the Acting General, "Sir, one more thing. I want Poe as my second in command."

Morris' eyebrows winged up in surprise, "Very well; if that is your choice, I will not contest it."

Finn nodded again and they continued on towards the training fields. As they approached, they heard a man in the midst of a rousing speech. "You lot have been placed under the command of Captain No-Nerves! You will find no gentleness in this man; he is a cold, heartless, unfeeling skinflint. He thinks nothing of turning coat; he would think nothing of shooting you for insubordination! I, personally, feel sorry for this sloppy outfit! If I were him, I'd have you all taken out and horsewhipped, you lazy slobs! No-Nerves will bring you lot to heel, and no mistake! He is a ruthless, grasping, cruel man who..."

Whatever else Finn was supposed to be, he never heard. It seemed that Poe had heard enough about his Bond-Brother because he cut the man off, shouting, "'Atten _tion_!" As one the entire battalion snapped-to, and the man who had been speaking paled suddenly. As Poe stepped forward to dress the man down, Finn laid a hand on his elbow. _I'll deal with this_ , he thought at Poe.

Finn spoke to the man in a dangerously quiet but carrying voice, "Well, now. That was quite the... _rousing_ speech. 'Cold and unfeeling'...I think that was my favorite part. Although, insinuating that I am a traitor and cruel with it... _that_ was a bit much for my personal tastes. Furthermore, _private_ , the only one here that I see is in need of horsewhipping is you. You will kindly not describe a man that you have never met to _my_ companies, if you please _especially_ when that man is me. You have no basis upon which to build you assumptions. For your information, not that you deserve to hear it, the reason I left the First Order is because I could not, in good conscience, fight their wars for them. I watched them order children slaughtered in the streets and the others that I was raised with fall in battle right beside me, and I _knew_ that I could not serve them. So I left. I fell in with the Resistance and here, I found someone I could serve willingly and proudly in General Organa. Now, _get back in line_." The man paled and set his jaw stubbornly, but did as he was ordered.

Finn turned to the rest of the troops, raising his voice slightly so he could be heard, "As for the reasoning behind the _charming_ name that has been given to me...I received an injury while fighting Kylo Ren. His light-saber cut open my spine and the injury left me...debilitated. I have lost all feeling in my chest and back." At this, Poe glanced up sharply at Finn with a mournful, disbelieving look on his face. Finn ignored him as he heard a scoff from the man he had just finished dressing down, "You don't believe me? Huh." Finn turned his back to the companies and removed his tunic. There was a collective gasp as he bared the terrible scar that Kylo Ren had left him with. It traversed the length of his spine in an ugly, pale knot of twisted and distorted skin. As he rotated slowly so they could view all the scars on his torso, the crowd grew deathly still and silent; some even paled. Slashing nastily across Finn's once-flawless ebony skin were at least a dozen pale scars of varying size and severity- standing bare-chested in the morning sun, they were all the more evident.

Finn gave them a moment to take in his appearance before replacing his tunic and speaking once more, "Now. If we can cease this ridiculous obsession with the reasoning behind the name 'No-Nerves', I will brief you. Our primary objective during this battle will be the safety of our most valuable assets: Luke Skywalker, Rey, and Ben Solo. Luke and Rey are irreplaceable as far as strength is concerned; Ben, however, possesses knowledge that no one else in the Resistance has or is able to procure. I, for example, have only seen Master Ren _one_ time in my entire life, but that one glance left me with such an impression that the man terrifies me to this day. Ben, on the other hand, _trained_ under Ren and is still able to look the man in the face. We cannot spare any one of those three. Therefore, our primary concern will be drawing the fire of those Stormtroopers so that they can concentrate on the Knights of Ren that will be with them, and there will be many. Now, that means front lines, which means action, and a lot of it. Ren has amassed every Knight in the sector, just for this one mission – they are _that_ desperate to reclaim Ben. I have one final thing to say, and then I will leave you to spend you final hours before the battle with whomever is left on base that you wish to spend those hours with. This fight will _not_ be like the one on Endor. There were so few of us then that Ben was able to keep us all safe through the Force. We hardly numbered more than a hundred, and still the effort nearly killed him. Today, we number in the thousands, if not _tens_ of thousands - there are simply too many for Ben to keep us all safe. We _will_ suffer losses, and they may well be heavy. You will lose friends today; maybe even lovers or family members. All I can say to you is this: Rely today on your own cunning, intelligence, skill, and powers of observation. If you do that, and follow my orders, you'll do just fine. I will have a number of Force-Sensitives that Acting General Morris will be adding to our ranks; there will be one with each company, and one with me so that we can more quickly and accurately relay orders. The orders they give you will come directly from me; is that understood?" As Finn's troops shouted their affirmative and saluted, he dismissed them. Drawing in a deep breath, he turned to Poe, who still watched him with a hangdog expression on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me how bad your back was?" Poe could not disguise the hurt in his voice, or the accusation.

Finn sighed, "I didn't realize until Endor, and there hasn't really been an appropriate time to tell you. I'm sorry, Poe; I would have told you last night, but..."

Poe smiled sadly, "But I was too busy chasing women. I understand, buddy." Poe extended his hand and Finn grasped it. The two men pulled each other into a tight embrace, each accepting that they might never see the other again.

Before long, the alarm was sounded that Ren's forces were entering the atmosphere, and Finn's company was arranged in neat rows, each group of one hundred having its own Force-Sensitive that was skilled in mind-to-mind communication, and one standing beside Finn, ready to relay orders. Finn and Poe stood directly behind Ben and Rey, close enough that Finn laid a hand on each of the pair's shoulders and squeezed gently before the enemy forces approached. When approach they did, they advanced like a legion of Roman Centurions. The effect was striking, and Finn sensed the morale of his men take a dive, "Tell them to stand strong. Remember: under those masks and helmets, they're just men and women, just like we are." The man standing beside Finn nodded as he relayed the message; he was a mountain of a man, standing eye-to-eye with Ben, but far more bulky. His shoulders alone were the width of two normally-proportioned men standing side-by-side. His biceps were as large around as Finn's head, at the very least. A sense of serene power radiated from the man, and Finn pitied any fool who stood before him when the man drew his light-saber. He has well-tanned skin and chestnut hair that hung to his waist.

Ben exchanged a few vocal volleys with Captain Phasma, who led First Order forces. Finn muttered to the man beside him, "Tell them to be ready; not long now. Ben's stalling, but it won't last long." The man nodded and relayed the message; sure enough, a short time later, Phasma shouted the order to attack and the battle began. Blaster-fire was thick in the air as the Resistance surged forward like one massive beast on a collective roar. Chaos ruled as Knights and Stormtroopers met the Resistance fighters in a cacophony of buzzing light-sabers, blaster-fire, and crashing body armor. Before long, Finn, Poe, and Rey were separated from Ben. Finn did his best to protect Rey, sending out as many subtle Force-Blasts as he could without detection, though his light-saber stayed hidden. Beside him fought the man who had been relaying messages throughout Finn's ranks; out of nowhere, four Knights surrounded him, and the man was hidden from Finn's sight. As the battle wore on, Rey's robes were slowly stained with red, and Finn felt his legs begin to go numb. Hie world narrowed to Poe and Rey fighting beside him and the next Stormtrooper that came into Finn's sights.

Suddenly, Finn sensed something go wrong; something wrong with Ben. Rey sensed it, too; Finn saw her stiffen beside him and turn, crying Ben's name as she dashed back towards where they had last seen Ben. They arrived just in time to see Phasma carrying away the unconscious form of Ren, shouting for the First Order to withdraw, and Ben's crumpled body laying on the ground. Rey threw herself to the ground beside him on a sob, checking his pulse and breathing in one long, shuddering gasp when she found he was alive. Without a word, Finn rushed forward, Poe close behind him, and helped Rey gather Ben up to get him to the safety of the shuttles. As Finn turned, weighed down with Ben's bulk, he saw the massive form of the man who had relayed orders to the rest of Finn's forces and was suddenly struck by a sense of the complete waste of it all. They reached the shuttles after much stumbling and many slips in the blood-drenched ground and laid Ben carefully on a cot. Behind him, Finn felt Poe run back out of the shuttle; turning in confusion, Finn saw Luke, kneeling on the ground, blood streaming from a gaping wound where his eyes used to be and a Knight of Ren standing over him. As the Knight raised his light-saber to strike the final blow, Poe was suddenly there, standing between them. Finn felt his stomach do a sick roll as Poe grabbed hold of the Knight's wrist; the Knight twisted that wrist, severing Poe's hand from his wrist. Finn felt Poe's pain radiate through the Force, and the two of them passed into darkness as they lost consciousness.

***Author's Note***

Phew. So, we'll be seeing a reunion between Finn and Twila by the end of the next chapter. Thanks for reading, as ever; leave your reactions in the reviews, if you'd like.


	23. Chapter 23

***Author's Note***

Good Morning, my friends! Well, here we are - the promised reunion chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

***End Note***

Finn woke where he had lain in the shuttle; Rey bent over a still-unconscious Ben, Luke sat away from everyone, a hand over his face, and Poe sat curled against a wall, cradling the stump of his wrist. No one, it seemed, had escaped D'Qar unscathed; Finn glanced down to see his tunic in bloody tatters. Even he, it seemed, had gained a number of new wounds. Though Poe glanced at Finn and Finn looked right back, neither spoke. Even when Ben awoke and contacted his mother did they speak. Finn had no words to give to Poe to help ease the loss of Poe's hand, and Poe had no words to express his pain. So, the pair stayed silent as the shuttles turned towards Tagoria in all the haste they could muster. _So few,_ thought Finn, _So few that survived. How will the Resistance ever find the manpower to replace those lost? Well, at least we're alive – not that I can say that for a great many people under my command._ As though the thought had summoned him, one of the men that had been under Finn's command approached him quietly. "Sir? I know this is poor timing, Sir, but I thought you might like the readouts of our losses, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir, but it isn't good news." Finn sighed and reached for the datapad the young man held out to him. As Finn looked at him, he realized the man was very young, indeed - he was, perhaps, nineteen, if not younger. _Such waste_ , Finn thought for the thousandth time. It would not be the last time Finn thought such a thing that day. He grunted his thanks to the young man and turned to the datapad to see just how terrible their losses had been. The news came like a blow to the gut: Two-thirds. Two-thirds of the men and women that had marched out under Finn's command just a few hours ago had fallen in battle, never to rise again.

A lump rose in Finn's throat as he looked over every file of the souls that had been lost, memorizing every face. He knew that it was his duty to inform the families, but he was afraid; he didn't know if he would be able to find the words to their families. He had been in command for such a short time, he was afraid that the families of the fallen would take it harder than they ought and, if he was being perfectly honest with himself, he was afraid that they would blame him for their loss. Finn sighed, "Thank you, Private. I will see to the notifications personally." The young man nodded, a look of understanding, respect, and pride on his face as he stood and returned to where he had been sitting. When they arrived on Tagoria, Poe was rushed off to medical by two massive feline-type creatures that Finn had only ever heard stories about; he had never seen a Tagorian in person. They attempted to rush Finn off to medical, but he would not allow it. Instead, as Poe underwent surgery after surgery, Finn went from residence to residence, alerting the families of those that had been lost. The first notification was the hardest; it was the mountainous Force-User that had fought beside Finn, relaying messages all the while. The man had been a loving, loyal husband and caring father of three sweet children – two boys and one girl. He had thought the woman would blame him for her husband's death, but she didn't. Instead, she told him how well he had done, given that he had been in command for so short a time, not to mention how short a time they'd had to prepare. The encounter had left Finn's head spinning. It took Finn four days to finish the entire list, during which time Poe was released from surgery. The day after their arrival on Tagoria, Finn returned to his and Poe's quarters to find Poe standing, staring into the mirror at his cybernetic hand. There were deep, bloody gouges where his new hand connected to his wrist, as though he had tried to tear the thing off with his fingernail.

"That's exactly what I tried to do," said Poe with hysteria in his voice, hearing Finn's thoughts. "I did try to tear my hand off, and I would have succeeded if it weren't for Ben. Finn, what do I do with this thing? I can't..." Poe broke off as his voice failed him, and he fell to his knees, sobbing.

Finn rushed to his friend's side and pulled him close, until Poe's head rested on Finn's shoulder, "You get up. You keep moving, and you don't let anyone tell you what you and can't do. You've got to stay positive, Poe. I know how you're feeling right now, but it'll get better. It _has_ to," he finished as though to himself.

Poe shoved to his feet and pushed away from Finn, "You _know how I feel_? You have _no idea_! I'm disgusting; how will any woman ever want me again? At least _you_ haven't lost anything! I'm so angry, Finn..." Poe trailed off as Finn's fist connected with Poe's jaw, sending him sprawling.

Finn advanced on Poe, his voice raising to and ear-shattering volume, "'Haven't lost anything'? Really? Look, Poe, I get being angry – I do; I'm angry, too. I'm so angry sometimes that I feel like the heat of my anger will burn me up from the inside out! But saying I haven't lost anything is a damn lie. I lost all feeling in my chest and back after my fight with Kylo Ren, and I can't even be angry at the man who did it, because he's engaged to one of my best friends, not to mention the fact that he's not even the same _guy_ anymore! I will _never_ be able to feel Twila's touch on my chest, Poe. Yeah, your hand got lopped off, but you got a shiny new one and I bet you can feel it, too. This _can't be fixed_. I know because I've asked the Tagorians. Their medicine is far more advanced than ours is, so I stopped by on my way back from notifications today. They said that the damage had gone so long without treatment that even _if_ they replaced my spine, I would likely never regain feeling, and that if they _tried_ to replace my spine, I would most likely wind up paralyzed permanently. So don't stand there and tell me I haven't lost anything makes me so mad that I want to tear that hand off _for_ you! Don't you dare stand there feeling sorry for yourself when there are people out there who are way worse off than you are. Or are you going to go and give Master Luke his eyesight back? Or bring the dead back to life, maybe? Are you going to go to the grieving families and tell them it's okay and it's not really as bad as they think it is because you can _fix_ it!? No, I don't think so. So you just shut the hell up and quit your damn whining." Finn stopped talking abruptly, his chest heaving with his rage.

Poe had been standing with his hand over his jaw where Finn had punched him, listening with his jaw hanging slightly open, transfixed. He seemed to finally regain his mental faculties, working his jaw to try and force words out, but no sound came. He cleared his throat and tried again, his voice barely a whisper and breaking with shame, "Finn...I'm so sorry. I didn't know; I didn't think. I should have known...I just...It's too much, Finn. I don't know how I'm supposed to cope with everything I know and believe in changing like it's the damn weather. You're absolutely right, though - I got off easy." Poe paused for a few moments, thinking, "So, would it be alright if I came with you to do the next round of notifications?"

Finn, who had been pacing to try and work through his temper, stopped short, "Sorry, what?"

"Well, I thought maybe it would help if I saw people who are worse off. Maybe I wouldn't feel so sorry for myself."

Finn huffed out a breath but agreed with poor grace. With Poe's help, the remaining two days of notifications went faster than Finn thought it would and at long last, they were finished. They woke on the morning of their fifth day on Tagoria feeling weary and gun-shy. The pair decided that they would go for a walk in the woods. Finn smiled to himself, _Well, it is appropriate, I suppose, after all the time we spent on Yavin-4. Huh. The General really seems to favor heavily wooded planets for the Resistance's bases._ Poe smirked beside Finn, hearing his thoughts. They glanced up at yet another shuttle, presumably bringing in more refugees. Finn paused – there was something...familiar on that shuttle. Finn cocked his head, utterly focused on that presence. Poe paused as well, watching Finn with confusion, "What is it? Finn, is everything alright?" Without a word, Finn turned on his heel and began sprinting back to the city. Beginning to feel truly concerned, Poe followed as quickly as he could, but Finn was faster.

Finn angled himself towards the landing pad, urging his feet to move faster than they were capable. He thought he heard Poe following along behind, but that didn't matter. At last, he reached the landing pad where the new shuttle was off loading passengers, and he heard it. A familiar voice was asking for directions, and where it could find him. As he rushed towards that voice, he saw a flash of pale blue and he thought his heart would burst from his chest. "Twila?" he called to her; he saw her freeze, then turn slowly as though she could not believe her eyes, " _Twila!_ " Shouted Finn. He watched as tears sprang to her eyes and overflowed when she saw him. She started sprinting towards him, and they met in the middle of the landing pad where Finn threw his arms around her at long last. The crowd around them paused in their work to watch the happy reunion, smiling and laughing as Twila knocked Finn to the ground in her enthusiasm. She sat up, pulling Finn with her and kissed him soundly, neither caring that half the base seemed to be watching. Finn glanced over to where Poe was standing, grinning like a fool with tears in his eyes. Finn knew there was a war on, but for the first time since he'd left Naboo, he did not give one single damn. His Twila was back, "Welcome to Tagoria," he said, laughing as she leaned in to kiss him again.

***Author's Note***

Yaaaay! I was almost crying when I wrote the reunion! Oh, this chapter made me happy. Hope you lot enjoyed it, and as ever, leave your reactions in the reviews if you like and thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

***Author's Note***

Hello, hello, dear readers! Finn and Twila are finally back together! Yaaaay! So, in this chapter, you are going to meet a character that will be very important in The Darksaber Resurfaces. Super, super exciting stuff here! So, have fun with this chapter, my dears!

***End Note***

Finn wasted no time; he and Twila went off alone to catch up and spend some much-needed time alone. At first, neither spoke; they were so thrilled simply to be in one another's company after weeks apart. At last, Finn spoke, "How have you been? _Where_ have you been? What have you been doing? Oops; sorry, too many question."

Twila chuckled and wrapped her arms around Finn, resting her head on his chest. "Well, as far as _how_ I've been, I've been...missing you. Where have I been? I haven't left Naboo, and what I've been doing is actually pretty simple; myself and a number of other Twi'leks have been trying to recruit as many as possible. And too many questions? Never." She raised up on the tips of her toes to kiss him and he leaned down obligingly, meeting her halfway.

Finn smiled and planted another kiss on her forehead, "Well, what are you doing here? How did you know where we were? How did you _get_ here?"

Twila chuckled at Finn's bemused expression, "Well, the answers to those questions are all sort of the same. I'll explain," she smiled at him as she took his hand in hers and started to walk. "So, I have this pilot friend who does a lot of business with the Tagorians. As you can imagine, he picks up on a _lot_ of gossip from planet to planet. He was on his way to Naboo to drop off a shipment when he passed another freighter who had just stopped off at Tagoria; my friend knew that was his next stop, so he got the other freighter on the ship-to-ship comm and asked for any news that he might need or want to know. The other pilot told my friend that he'd heard of a massive attack on D'Qar and that the survivors had fled to Tagoria. The news troubled my friend, so when I met him at the landing pad, he told me all that he'd heard and asked my advice. I told him that I thought it sounded like the First Order was getting nervous, then I asked if he'd heard any news of you and he said no, he'd only heard stories of some crazy Captain the Resistance has taken to calling 'No-Nerves'. I thanked him for the news and asked if he'd give me a lift to Tagoria so I could look for you myself. I got him out of a tough spot a few years back and he still owed me, so he said yes, and here I am." Twila glanced up at Finn as she finished her story to see that he was grinning hugely, "What? What's funny? Did I miss something?"

Finn angled towards her and pointed to the Captain's bars on his chest, "Captain No-Nerves at your service." he chuckled as her jaw fell open and her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. "I think I'd like to meet this friend of yours before he leaves. Would that be possible?"

Twila shook her head as though flies were buzzing near her ears, "Meet him? Oh, yeah, sure. That's no problem, but go back to the part where _you're_ No-Nerves!?"

Finn laughed, "Yeah, it's a reference to the way I charge into battle. And other reasons which I'll explain another time; I don't really feel like getting into that right now." Finn looked away from her, a glint of sadness in his eyes.

Twila raised her eyebrows but said nothing further on the subject, "Well, let's head back to the landing pad; my friend is probably worried about me." Together, the pair returned to the landing pad, where a large human was standing by a medium-sized freighter, looking around with concern evident on his face. He was extremely large for a human; Finn thought he would probably tower over Ben, even. He had to be nearly seven feet tall, if he was an inch. He was so tall, in fact, that he nearly stood eye-to-eye with some of the shorter Tagorians. He had a wild mane of curly red hair that fell down to the middle of his back and sparkling green eyes that Finn thought probably didn't miss a trick. He had three or four golden loops swinging merrily from each earlobe and a bear that matched his hair for wildness. His skin was a dusky tan, and his muscles reminded Finn of the Force-User that had died on D'Qar. The man wore a deep red button-up shirt with black trousers that were neatly tucked in to boots of a red that matched his shirt; he had suspenders and a belt of the same shade of black as his trousers and a massive vibrosword slung across his back, not to mention the pair of blasters that were slung at his hips. He was the type of man who broke up cantina fights just by standing up and clearing his throat loudly. He looked friendly enough to Finn, but he wouldn't want to come on the wrong side of this man's temper. Twila quickened her steps as she shouted over the crowds, "Thamian! I'm over here, Thamian!" The man stopped scanning the crowd as he gazed in the direction of her voice.

A wide grin cracked his face, revealing a mouth full of strong, snow-white teeth. His voice boomed like a cannon over the crowds, "TWILA! There you are, girl! You scared the life out of me, child! O-ho! I take it this is your missing... _friend_. Well, come along, you two! And what about the swarthy looking fellow lurking along behind the pair of you? Is he a friend, or should I _encourage_ him to mind his own business?"

Twila laughed up at the bear of a man, "He's okay, Thamian; he's a friend of mine. I'll do the introductions if we can come aboard for some tea?"

Thamian chortled heartily; it was a pleasant sound that reminded Finn of water thundering over rocks, "That works for me, Blue! Come one, then you three!" With that, he swept an enormous hand out to seize Poe by the collar and with the other arm, he grabbed Finn and Twila up in a massive one-armed bear hug, dragging the whole lot of them onto his ship and heading for the galley. He shut the galley doors and offered them seats while he poured the tea. As he handed them their tea, he looked thoughtfully at Twila, "Okay, Blue. I've known you too long; what's going on? Who exactly are these two, and why were you so desperate to find the young Captain, here?"

Twila smirked up at him, "You never miss anything, do you, old friend? Finn, Poe – this is Captain Thamian Rar. He's one of the best men I've ever known; he rescued me after the First Order killed my family all those years ago. I traveled with him for a while until I settled on Naboo with the Resistance. Thamian, this is Captain Finn and Poe Dameron." When he heard Poe's name, Thamian's bushy eyebrows winged up, though he did not interrupt. "Finn's like me, Thamian, but it's one of the biggest secrets the Resistance has, so lips sealed, right?"

Thamian regarded Finn first with surprise, then with speculation and finally with the glimmering beginnings of respect, "Huh. So, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the two of you are Force-Bonded, then? Uh-huh. That's what I figured. So, what's Dameron's connection to all this? Another Force-Bond, eh? Given how protective he is of the little guy, I'm thinking so, but not lovers, so...Bond-Brothers? That's a rare thing when it's not between actual siblings. You two must be something special, you especially, Captain, if you could Bond with our girl here. I'd give you the 'if you hurt my girl' speech, but I've known a few Bonded pairs. You couldn't hurt her, even if you wanted to. I'll keep your secret, Finn, just like I've kept Blue's after all these years. You can trust me, or you wouldn't even be able to torture anything out of little Blue here." He reached over and fondly tugged on one of Twila's Lek'ku in a fatherly manner.

The galley door suddenly slid open and Master Luke stepped through, not even trying to hide his ravaged eyes, "So. This is Twila Doroturo, is it?" The door shut and locked behind Luke, "If you trust this man, Twila, then I will. You wouldn't have risked Finn's safety if you didn't trust this man absolutely." He held his hand out to Thamian, "Luke Skywalker. It's good to meet you, Thamian. The loading bay was open, so I thought I'd come and see what you lot were talking about. As for you, Twila, I know that our last 'meeting' was both brief and confusing, for which I apologize. I have been waiting for you for a very long time. I have been seeing visions of you for many years now. You are to be instrumental in the destruction of the First Order; not to mention what you and Finn are meant to become together, and what the two of you will create and help to create. I'm afraid I can't say any more than that. My nephew will say that I am intentionally vague, but I assure you that it is not so."

Twila smiled, "That's alright, Master Luke. I expected it; you are the last of the Jedi, after all. At least, you are for _now_. Thamian – I never got the chance to tell you Finn's nickname: No-Nerves."

Thamian stared at Finn for a long moment before respect shone from his eyes, "So; you are the one they call No-Nerves, huh? Interesting. Have you told her the _whole_ reason why they call you that?"

Finn cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, "No, not yet; I was going to do it in private. But, since you brought it up, I might as well do it now." Finn stood and self-consciously removed his tunic, baring all of the scars he had collected since _Starkiller_. As he turned slowly to show them the scar on his spine, Twila gasped and her hands flew to cover her mouth. "I got that one on _Starkiller_ , during my fight with Kylo Ren. He sliced open my spine and the doctors said it was a miracle that I could even walk. Now, though, I know the truth: the Force saved me for its own purposes. However, it couldn't repair all the damage; some was destroyed completely." Finn took a steadying breath, "Twila, I have no feeling in my chest and back. None at all. I feel everything else, just not my chest or back, which is why I have so many scars. I didn't feel a single one of them. That also means, however, that I don't feel so much as a touch. It's completely numb." Finn watched her carefully as his words sunk in.

First, there was confusion, then a dawning realization before, finally, understanding and compassion, "Finn. You don't seriously think that I wouldn't want you just because you can't feel me touch you? Can you feel everything else?" Finn's cheeks darkened, "Well, then. It looks like we have nothing to worry about. We'll figure it out, Finn; don't worry so much." Twila reached over and took Finn's hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "There is nothing in any universe, known or unknown, that could ever make me stop wanting you."

Finn smiled as he replaced his tunic and reached for her, pulling her into his lap as he sat, holding her close against him. Luke smiled and sat in the seat Twila had occupied, "Now if all parties are agreeable, I think Leia and I may have rather _interesting_ mission for you. That includes you, Thamian. It includes flying the _Millennium Falcon_ into hostile territory and the four of you attacking a First Order base."

The look that spread across Thamian's face would have chilled the marrow of Padme herself; it was a vicious, eager look that bared all his teeth in a gaping grin and brought a manic gleam to his eyes, "I'd be glad to help."

Twila smiled as Luke nodded, "Well, then. As soon as you have all finished your tea, I'd like to introduce Twila and Thamian to my sister; she'll fill you in." This was proving to be far easier than Luke had expected it to be. He stifled another smile at the thought.

***Author's Note***

Hehehehehe. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the new mission is. For now, I'm for bed. As ever, please feel free to leave your reactions in the reviews and thank you for reading!


	25. Chapter 25

***Author's Note***

Alrighty, then! So, I've got a super Lemon-y chapter for you tonight! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, as always!

***End Note***

Later that day, Finn and Twila sat in what was serving as the mess hall, staring at each other and eating in silence. Poe and Thamian were beside them, talking quietly about their upcoming mission. It seemed that their little group was uniquely qualified to quietly infiltrate and sabotage Du'Tang station. Luke had led them directly to Leia after their conversation on Thamian's ship. The pair was happy to eat quietly and let the others discuss the particulars; they knew their part. The plan was simple enough – They were going to take the _Falcon_ straight into enemy territory to where they knew that a Star Destroyer was going to pass through en route to Du'Tang and hitch a ride by attaching the _Falcon_ to the much larger ship's hull. Once they arrived at Du'Tang, they would detach from the hull of the Star Destroyer just long enough to reattach to the hull of the station itself. From there, they would equip themselves with space suits, activate the mag-boots, and take a little walk up the hull of the station, gaining access through a maintenance hatch, into which Thamien would hack. They'd stash their suits inside the maintenance tunnels, make their way to the reactor cores, set the charges, and leave the way they came. Easy, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Poe glanced over at Finn, irritated, _Really? Did you really just think that? You know that every time somebody says or thinks that, something always goes wrong, right?_ Finn snorted out a laugh, which drew curious looks from Thamian and Twila. "Sorry; I was just thinking what Han would say if he could hear us now. What do you think his opinion would be of our plan?" _Liar_ , came Poe's amused thought.

Thamian chuckled, "I actually knew Han pretty well. That crazy bastard got me into and out of more bad situation than I care to remember. He'd think it was brilliant. Which probably means it's a terrible idea and we should back out now. The great thing about Han was that no matter how bad things got, he always found a way to make it work; he made a lot of friends doing that. So, I figure if we go into this thing looking at it the way Han would, we'll be just fine. What was it he used to say? Ah, yes – 'Never tell me the odds.' I think he'd enjoy our mission, so what do you say we do the same?" Thamian sighed as memories of his old friend resurfaced, "Huh. He'd probably warn you not to get a single scratch on the _Falcon_. He was always very fond of that old ship. You two should get some rest or...whatever." Thamian finished with a wicked smirk at Finn and Twila. "You probably won't get the chance for quite some time after this one."

Twila giggled and flushed while Finn rolled his eyes and stood, "We'll see you lot in the morning." Poe laughed raucously and whistled at the pair, drawing glances from all over the mess hall. When people saw who the subject of the whistled was, others joined in, adding catcalls and jokes to the mix, further deepening Twila's blush. Finn glared at Poe, "You do know that I can kill you with my bare hands, _and_ I know where you sleep, right?" Poe only laughed harder at the threat and waved the two of them out. Twila tugged on Finn's hand, dragging him quickly out of the hall.

She stopped suddenly, blinking, "Uh, I just realized I don't have any quarters yet, and I don't know where yours are." Finn chuckled and took the lead, waving his hand at the door when they reached his and Poe's quarters, not really caring at the moment if anyone saw him use the Force; he was far too giddy to be in Twila's company.

She stepped in, looking around curiously, "So; these are the quarters you share with the notorious ladies' man. How does that work, exactly?"

Finn laughed, "He usually has respect enough to go to the woman's room, rather than make me sleep in the hall. Sometimes, though, he forgets his manners. Those nights, I just have to put a pillow over my head and try desperately not to murder them both." Finn listened in near-awe to Twila's tinkling laugh, thinking he had never heard such a beautiful sound in all the galaxy. She saw him staring at her and smiled, stepping into his arms and laying her head on his chest. For a few moments, they were content to stand there like that in perfect silence.

Eventually, Twila pulled back a bit and cupped Finn's face in her hands, her expression inscrutable. Finn dipped to kiss her; she responded by crushing her body to his. Finn felt a punch of heat burst in his loins, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss. Reaching up, he stroked her Lek'ku daringly, causing her to buck and moan. She ran her hands over his chest and back before gasping and pulling back, looking ashamed. Finn stared back, confused for a moment, "I forgot you couldn't feel my touch," she whispered.

Finn laughed, "Oh, is _that_ what you're worried about? I can feel everywhere _but_ my chest and back, so we should be able to work with that." His eyes twinkled charmingly as she flushed in his arms. He liked seeing her in his arms like this, her pink eyes hazy with desire and her pale blue cheeks tinged with pink.

She slid her hands under his tunic, lifting it over his head, "even if you can't feel this, _I_ can, and I want to see you, anyway." Finn nodded as he watched her run her hands over his chest, feeling each of his scars. She walked around his back, trailing her hands over his skin, marveling in the difference in texture. His skin was stretched over the hard muscles beneath, but oddly soft; where the scars cut roughly across, some felt like silk while others felt more like carved marble. Twila was astonished that he could even move, with all of the scars. _Maybe it's a blessing that he can't feel_ , she thought. Walking to stand before him again, Twila slowly worked her own tunic up over her head, being careful not to tangle them in her Lek'ku. She flushed at the sight of his trousers tightening as he watched her. Gently, curiously, Finn stepped forward and laid his hands on Twila's bare stomach, causing her to shudder and close her eyes. He glanced quickly up at her, suddenly shy and uncertain of himself. Slowly, he drew his hands upwards until he gently cupped her perfect breasts. Finn flushed as he gently fondled them, marveling at how soft they were. Slowly, Finn lowered himself to his knees to gently explore her nipple with his tongue, circling it hesitantly. Twila gasped in pleasure, her back arching in response to his explorations. Curious, Finn kissed her nipple, suckling gently as he released. She cried out, clasping his head to her breast; her reaction made his head spin. Even the scent of her seemed different. Things that were normally attractive about her seemed suddenly like the finest drug; Finn found that he could not resist her temptations.

At last, Finn found that he could not wait any longer; her reached to undo Twila's trousers, hesitating for only a moment before pulling them off and throwing them hastily across the room. Finn's erection was now so painful that he could hardly see, let alone continue. Twila took pity on him and slowly removed his trousers, freeing his member carefully. As she took him into her mouth, Finn back arched and his mouth opened wide in a silent cry of ecstasy. He gripped her head in pleasure, urging her gently on as his member pulsed insistently while she swalloed him expertly, making little gagging noises that only hardened him further. Ignoring it as much as he could, Finn drew Twila carefully away from his member before taking her hand, helping her to her feet, and leading her to his cot. Sinking onto it, he laid Twila carefully on her back, being careful not to pinch her Lek'ku. He suckled gently at her breast again before lowering himself to her center. Glancing up at her, Finn saw that Twila's eyes had gone wide with disbelief at the knowledge Finn seemed to have gleaned from Poe. Hesitantly, Finn licked at her center, revelling in the taste of her. He dug his tongue deeper into her, gasping as she clenched around his tongue as she cried out again in pleasure.

At long last, Finn stood, suddenly hyper-aware of his nakedness, staring down at Twila's beauty. Rising, Finn carefully covered her, watching her carefully for any sign that she had changed her mind. Seeing none, Finn allowed her to guide him carefully into her center, and then pull his hips gently forward so that he sank into her. Finn eyes popped wide and he gasped senselessly with arousal. She was so wet and so _warm_ that Finn could hardly believe how incredible it felt to have her womanhood wrap tightly around him. At her urging, Finn cautiously moved his hips forward and back until Twila said in a voice equally aroused and irritated, "For fuck's sake, I'm not going to break! Please! I need more!"

Finn let out a wild cry and pounded himself roughly into her, as she screamed in pleasure. Finn felt Twila's ecstasy flood through him and let out a cry of his own as he hammered himself harder and faster into Twila's center. Suddenly, the heat in his gut began to grow as Twila's muscles clenched again around him and she cried out his name, her voice cracking on it. The heat built until Finn felt like he would go blind from it. At last, he felt his release building as he plunged once more into Twila, releasing his seed on a cry so loud that he was sure half the city heard him, but he didn't care. He collapsed, panting, onto Twila's chest, thanking his lucky stars that this was _his_ woman.

"Twila?" He whispered.

"Mmm?" She answered.

"I love you," he muttered, his throat tight.

"I love you, too," she whispered back as tears filled her eyes.

***Author's Note***

O.o Wow. So, I thought it was about damn time that Finn lose his virginity; I thought it was sweet, but it's your opinions that I really care about. Let me know in the reviews. As ever, my dears, thanks for reading! ^_^


	26. Chapter 26

***Author's Note***

Short chapter this morning, but it's a good one! Our friends are going to be having some epic adventures before too long! The next couple chapters will lay some groundwork for The Darksaber Resurfaces, so that's pretty exciting! Enjoy!

***End Note***

The next morning, Finn woke with Twila's head on his chest, her arm slung across him to lay on the bed, and her legs tangled pleasantly with his own. He gently lifted his left arm to lay his hand on her bare back, and smiled hugely to himself. Finn couldn't remember ever having been this happy in his entire life. Drawing the covers more securely over the both of them, Finn sighed, watching her sleep. As the early morning light began to stream in the window, it fell on Twila's sleeping face, granting her skin an ethereal sort of glow. Even while he watched, Twila's eyelid twitched as she began to wake. Her eyes opened blearily and her pink eyes stared up at him, still fogged with sleep.

She smiled, propping herself up on one elbow, "Good morning," she said as she leaned in to kiss Finn. She laid back down, curling cat-like into Finn's warmth, making happy little sounds in her throat.

They had not been laying there long when Poe's voice in Finn's head interrupted the peaceful moment, _I know you two are all sex-drunk and comfortable right now, but we've got a job to do, buddy. Time to get up._

Finn groaned loudly, causing Twila to glance up in concern, "Is everything okay?"

He smiled, stroking a gentle hand down her Lek'ku, "Yeah; it's just Poe. He's kindly reminding us that we've got work to do. We'd better get up before he decides to 'help' us get out of bed."

Twila chuckled as they rolled regretfully out of bed, wincing slightly as their feet touched the cold floor. After a quick turn in the 'fresher, they threw some clothes on and headed to find Poe and the Thamian. When they found the others, Luke was waiting with them in front of the _Falcon_.

"Good morning, you two! Twila, if you don't mind, I have something I wanted to discuss with you before you lot leave." Twila sighed but nodded as the whole group trooped into the _Falcon_. As they sat, Luke passed a hand over where his eyes had been only a few days ago, "Twila, I wanted to ask you who it was that trained you."

"I thought that might have been what you were after. His name was Jol Thorrn. He said that you trained him. He found me when I was young and taught me in secret for my protection. When the First Order raided our village, he was killed protecting me. He hid me with the Force, and it cost him his life. He always spoke very highly of you, Master. He said you were the greatest man he ever knew. Unfortunately, he was killed before he got the chance to teach me how to make my own light-saber, though I _do_ know how to use one. I'm sorry, Master Luke. I'm sure you were hoping for happier news."

Luke smiled sadly, "I had hoped, yes, but in my heart I knew he was gone. He was one of the few I taught that survived the destruction of the Academy. He always had a knack for _not_ being where trouble was. Not that he was a coward, as you know. It was more that he knew whether or not he would survive before the situation ever arose, and made sure not to be there. Now, I wonder if it wasn't because he knew all along how he was _meant_ to die? It makes me wonder if he didn't have a vision of his death years before it actually happened. It fits with what I knew to have true of the man. It must have been enormously difficult for him. Poor Jol. He was such a good man; I had no real hope that any of those that had survived would still be alive, though. Padme would have seen to that." Luke trailed off, shaking his head sadly.

Finn had been watching Luke steadily all through his and Twila's conversation, "So, it's true, then? Ren is really Padme Solo, Ben's twin?"

Luke sighed heavily, turning his head in Finn's direction, "Yes, Finn, it's true. Ben and Leia are devastated. They can't understand how they missed this in her. I hope there is a way to bring her back to us, but I don't know. Oh; also, there is going to be a wedding. Ben and Rey will be getting married within the month, so you two had better be back by then. They'll want their two best friends present when they do."

Finn laughed, "The General persuaded them to use the wedding for morale purposes, huh? Good for her! We'll be back long before then, don't worry Master Luke."

"Oh, and one last thing, Finn. I see you've made your choice regarding the Jedi Order. You've chosen the neutral path, have you?"

Finn's cheeks darkened, "Yes, Master, I have. I'm sorry."

Luke chuckled, "Finn, you're in love with an amazing woman. How can I possibly be angry disappointed with you for that? No, the only way I would be upset with you is if you shirked all of your responsibilities in favor of being with Twila. Obviously, you're not doing that, so you have nothing to worry about. Twila – I know that you said you had no light-saber, and you don't know how to make one, nor is there time for me to teach you, though I would be happy to once you return. Therefore, I have a few that you might be able to make use of." From the folds of his robes, Luke brought a half-dozen light-sabers while Finn's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Master? I didn't know you had any light-sabers other than your own."

Luke chuckled, "Well, I've been saving them for a rainy day. I didn't offer you one because there was more than enough time to teach you to make one. Well, Twila? Take your pick." Twila hesitated only a moment before reaching out to claim a light-saber that had a hilt made of Bylark wood. It was the most unique light-saber she had ever seen, and it seemed to call to her faintly. As she held it in her hand, it felt like it was meant to be there. Luke smiled, "Yes, I thought so."

Twila glanced up, "Master?"

Luke chuckled, "That was Jol's light-saber. He was very proud when he made it. He often said it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. I think you'll like the color, is memory serves."

Twila's eyes narrowed, wondering what Luke meant as she pressed the button on the hilt. As the weapon hissed into life, she laughed with surprised pleasure, "It's the same shade as my skin!" She shut the blade off and threw her arms around Luke, planting a solid kiss on his cheek, "Thank you, Master!"

Luke chuckled and blushed bemusedly, "Well, now; it was no trouble. No need for all the fuss. I'm glad you like it, though. I figured it might be the one that spoke for you."

Twila nodded, "It feels like it was made to fit my hand; if it's alright with you, I'm not sure I'll _want_ to make a new light-saber when I get back."

Luke shrugged, "If that's what you want, I have no problem with it. What am I going to do with a collection of light-sabers, I ask you? I have no legitimate need for more than one. If you'd like to keep it, that's fine. Come to think of it, that would be quite fitting. My first light-saber was my father's – the light-saber Rey brought back to me, in fact. It is fitting that your first light-saber would be your former Master's."

Twila smiled, "Thank you, Master. I truly appreciate all that you've done for us."

Luke inclined his head graciously, "You're most welcome. Now; don't you four have some final preperations to make?"

Thamian chuckled, "That we do, good Master. Thank you for coming to see us off."

From behind them, they heard, "He's not the only one – good luck, you lot," Leia said gently from behind them. She hugged Finn and Twila, "You be careful, and all four of you come home safely." The four companions nodded as they walked the twins out of the _Falcon_ before turning back and closing the loading ramp. This was going to be an interesting mission.

***Author's Note***

Wheeee! Mission time! This next chapter is going to be _so_ much fun to write! Thanks for reading, as ever, and don't be shy about leaving a review!


	27. Chapter 27

***Author's Note***

Oh, boy, this chapter's an interesting one. We're seeing our friends having just a little bit of fun in this chapter before they go from one fight to the next. You'll be seeing the bulk of the mission next chapter, my friends; tonight, I'm for bed!

***End Note***

The preparations were finally completed and the group was chomping at the bit to go; after an hour of waiting, they got their authorization code, Poe punched in the ignition sequence, and they were off. Poe breathed a sigh of relief; he had been too long planet-side. Finn closed his eyes, enjoying Poe's exhilaration for a moment. As they slipped into their hyperspace channel, Finn stood and held his hand out for Twila's, pulling her from her seat, "I have something I want to show you."

Curious, she followed Finn to the cargo bay. When he laid his hand on the identification panel and the door slid open, Twila gasped in astonishment. "What _is_ this?"

Finn chuckled, "It was a gift from the General. My own personal training course, and in the back, there's a horde of Jedi knowledge. Master Luke gave me access to a _lot_ of the archives. Now that you're here, too, fell free to use this room whenever you want. Computer?" when the automated system whirred to life, Finn continued, "Create a new profile: Padawan Twila. Start with an evaluation of her current skills, please. Record each session and send all of the results to Master Skywalker, as you do with mine."

"New profile: Padawan Twila. Please step forward and state your name for voice recognition identification."

Twila stepped forward and the computer immediately began to scan her, "Twila Doroturo," She said.

"Thank you, Padawan. Please draw your preferred weapon and make ready to defend yourself."

Twila turned to Finn with a raised eyebrow, "It's been a long time since I used a light-saber; this should be fun!"

Twila took a deep breath, centering herself before she lit the light-saber that had once belonged to her first Master. As soon as she engaged the blade, an enemy appeared before her, weapon at the ready. Twila easily blocked the hologram's initial attack and slashed him across the chest. The next four waves, she defeated with equal ease. The waves increased in speed and difficulty until Twila was standing in a crowd of holograms, using every trick she knew to defend herself. He blade flashed and hissed through the air as she spun to meet each new threat. Needing a moment to breathe, Twila used a massive Force-Push to clear a space between her and her enemies. While they were distracted, Twila Force-Jumped to a section of the course that gave her the advantage of height. Finally, after many repeats of this tactic, she Jumped again, only to find the spot she was heading for to be occupied by a hologram. With no time to alter her course, Twila hastily swung her light-saber, neatly truncating the hologram, but the hologram's work was already done. Twila's foot landed at the wrong angle, and she rolled off of the platform to the ground, where she was promptly surrounded by enemies, all with their weapons at her throat.

The holograms held their position for a few moments before vanishing. The automated voice rang through the compartment, "Well done, Padawan. Your level is far more advanced than expected. Your former Master taught you well. This program will refine your skills and show you where you need improvement. I will create a personalized training program for you which will be ready for use the next time you use this program."

Glancing behind her, Twila saw Finn and Thamian standing in the doorway, gaping. "What?" She asked, flushing slightly.

Finn's jaw moved soundlessly as though he could think of nothing to say, but he knew he s _hould_ say something. It was Thamian, though, who broke the silence, "Wow, Blue. I had no idea you were that skilled with a blade. I remember you telling me that you'd been trained in the use of a light-saber, but I think you understated your training somewhat. I'd have to say you're nearly a Master, yourself. Now, what I'd like to know is can this system be used by non-Force-Sensitives?"

The computer took it upon itself to answer his question, "Yes; I can be used for any purpose, though my main programming is to provide training to future Jedi. Would you like me to evaluate your skills and create a profile for you?"

Thamian grinned broadly, hefting his massive vibrosword, "I would, indeed. Thamian Rar."

"Voiceprint accepted. Scan commencing." Thamian stood still while the computer scanned him and created a test appropriate to his chosen weapon. "Please step forward and prepare to defend yourself."

Thamian grinned his bloodthirsty grin and stepped forward. Across the bay, a dozen opponents appeared, charging straight for him. Grin still in place, Thamian held his sword with one hand out to the side and rushed forward, bellowing like a bull. Finn was suddenly glad that the man was on their side. It was like watching a warrior god tease a mortal in combat. Thamian swung his weapon with the ease of a practiced master, twirling it effortlessly through the air. The enormous blade whistled and sung as it whipped this way and that through the air. The blade and Thamian seemed to be one being, darting here and there. Finn could not believe the way the man moved; his feet were quick as a hiccough and his movements were light and easy, though none would say it was effeminate. With each swing, Thamian neatly struck down multiple opponents, up to four at once. The blade was kept in pristine condition and its edge perfectly honed. It sliced easily through any that stood before it. After nearly an hour, the beast of a man began to tire, and the holograms surged forward, making his sword all but useless. Thamian dropped it and drew from beneath his tunic two long daggers; the removal of the weight seemed to revitalize the man, and he began an entirely new dance, but no less deadly. He spun and hacked, darting his blades high, then low, then dropping to his knees and cutting at knees and calves before dealing death blows to those that fell. His daggers found eyes, throats, and the soft spot under the arm with terrifying accuracy and speed. After another hour, Thamian's limbs began to shake and his breath gusted out in short, quick gasps. A hologram got off a lucky shot to his back, sending him sprawling before rolling, barely avoiding the blade. At last, he was disarmed by three opponents efforts and he was dealt a "death blow". He gusted out a heavy breath and paced slowly around the bay to keep from cramping up.

"Now, _that_ was a brawl! I haven't had a fight that fun since...well, probably since that time business went south on Corellia. Phew; no wonder you're in such good shape, Finn. I'd love to come back here a couple times a day while I'm on board, if that's alright?"

Finn chuckled and nodded, "I don't have a problem with that."

The computer chimed in, "Well done, Thamian. A most impressive performance. Your training program will be ready as soon as you are. Anyone else?"

Thamian raised an eyebrow, "She's got a bit of personality to her, doesn't she? Thank you, Computer, but I think we're all done here. I feel like I've gone to lead."

Twila chuckled, "I haven't seen you that alive in a long time. You almost never have to draw your daggers; I was surprised to see that! It's been a long time since I saw you fight with them. I think Corellia was probably the last time, actually. And you're right, by the way; that _was_ a good fight! Interestingly, it was also the last trip I went with you on before I joined the Resistance. Huh. Well, I'm expecting _this_ one to be better. _If_ there is one, that is."

Finn caught Twila's eye and shot her look, "Really? You think we're going to manage to get on and off Du'Tang without drawing attention? Psh. Good luck with that one."

Twila laughed and took Finn's hand, "Anybody hungry? I thought I might whip something up."

"That would be amazing. We've missed your cooking around here; I've been stuck with _this_ guy's cooking," Poe put in, jabbing his thumb in Finn's direction.

"Where have you been hiding? I didn't hear you come up," Finn asked in surprise.

"Oh, I've been standing here for a while, just watching. You're pretty good, little one. But the big guy over there...Remind me never to start a fight with you, Thamian."

Thamian roared with laughter, "Don't you worry about that; I'll be sure to remind you meself. I'm skilled with fist as well, so you know."

Poe blanched slightly at the thought, but Finn looked Thamian over, appraising what he saw, "Huh. I'd like to test your skill myself, sometime. I was trained from birth, essentially, in hand-to-hand combat from when I was a Stormtrooper." Thamian glanced up sharply at this, "Don't worry; I left after my first battle when I refused to kill anyone for them. They took me from my village when I was an infant; they killed my whole family when they took me. That's standard operating procedure for the First Order. Shortly after I left, I fell in with Rey and Rey led me to the Resistance. I've been here ever since, and I'm the first one now to tell you that Ben Solo and Kylo Ren are no longer one and the same. Kylo Ren died the day that Ben returned to his mother's side."

Thamian nodded sagely, "Sure, and I'm old enough to have seen such things in my day. Who am I to say what makes a man fight? It doesn't matter so much where a man comes from, but more what he chooses to do with his life. If what I've heard about Ben Solo is true, then he's had more than his fair share of troubles. Tell me, is Master Ren really his twin sister, or is that just a rumor that I heard?"

Finn sighed heavily and returned Thamian's gaze sadly, "Unfortunately, that is true, yes."

Thamian shook his head, "I met the twins once when they were very young. Unnatural connection they had. It's truly a shame that she took this road. Ah, well; nothing we can do about that just now. Let's focus on the task at hand, shall we?"

The next day that it took them to reach their destination passed in much the same way as the first with competitions in who could do better in training. Around lunch time, however, Finn swayed and stumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Poe and Twila, having sensed trouble immediately, were at Finn side before he could fall. They helped him sit down, leaning anxiously over him. "It's Ben. There's something really wrong with Ben. It's Padme; she's gotten to him." Twila gasped, "She's poisoned him. He's very sick – he's dying."

Twila shot to her feet, "We've got to go back! We have to help him."

Finn reached up and took Twila's hand, "No. He's not alone. Rey and Luke and Leia are with him. They can do far more for him there than we can do from here."  
Twila shook her head, fear in her eyes, "We have to do something. He's your friend..."  
Finn smiled gently, "I know, and isn't that odd? I mean, considering he's the reason I can't feel anything..." Finn stopped suddenly, shuddering out a sigh, "No, he's not alone. The best thing we can do to help Ben now is to complete our mission and return home safely so we can be there for him when he wakes, and for Rey while he's still under. He'll be fine, Twila." Finn stood, taking her face gently in his hands. "He'll be fine. He's stronger than most people give him credit for. Rey will give him the reason he needs to live. All my presence would do is to most likely cause him guilt, and that's the last thing he needs more of right now."

Just then, an alarm blared through the ship, and Poe sprung up, sprinting for the cockpit, shouting, "That's the proximity alert I set! Our ride seems to have arrived at last!"

The others followed quickly behind, each taking their appropriate seat; Thamian was acting as co-pilot, as Chewie was back on Tagoria with Ben and Rey. Poe waved at them to be quiet, needing all of his concentration. He tapped the directional thrusters, only giving them enough movement to maneuver into position. At last, the Star Destroyer came within range, and Poe flipped the _Falcon_ over before he activated the magnetic locks, sealing the _Falcon_ to the underbelly of the larger ship. They all held their breath while they waited to be discovered, sure that this plan was just a little _too_ bold, but nothing happened. They breathed a sigh of relief as they headed to the galley for lunch. Stage one was complete, and maybe, just maybe, the rest of the plan would go just as smoothly as the first step had.

***Author's Note***

Wheee! I particularly enjoyed Thamian's training scene. I have him imagined in my head as basically a massive redheaded Scotsman, in case that wasn't very clear. This character just sort of came to me, and I adore him so much that I've decided you'll see him again in The Darksaber Resurfaces. Hope you lot enjoy him as much as I do. As I said, the rest of the mission will go up tomorrow. Thanks for reading, as ever, and feel free to leave your opinions in the reviews section. 3


	28. Chapter 28

***Author's Note***

Ahhhhh. Sorry for the absence the last day or two; I needed to give my poor, overworked brain a bit of a break. Anywho, I'm back now. Get ready for the assault on Du'Tang station! It's gonna be epic!

***End Note***

It took two long days for the Star Destroyer to reach Du'Tang station. Falling out of hyperspace, Finn, Twila, Poe, and Thamian got their first look at the station Ben had warned them against attacking straight on only a short time before. Now, Finn finally understood _why_ Ben had been so adamantly against such an action. Seeing it now, Finn had to admit that an open, frontal assault would be nothing less than suicide. The space station was _massive_. It was easily large enough to house ten thousand, and that was just the station itself. There were dozens of smaller craft floating nearby the station. At Finn's estimation, there could easily be thirty thousand troops in or around the station. Poe, however, summed their situation up perfectly with the weak utterance of two little words, "Oh, shit."

Finn and Poe exchanged glances of utter terror. _Ben was right. This was meant to be a trap. There are too many ships here to have been brought in within the last couple of days. The Resistance was supposed to take the bait and be broken here._ Poe and Twila nodded in agreement, hearing Finn's thoughts.

"What are we going to do?" Twila whispered, her pink eyes wide.

Finn set his jaw and took a deep breath before answering, "This changes nothing. We knew from the word 'go' that we knew that we would be insanely outnumbered – this mission was always one of stealth. We have to take this threat out, for the Resistance; our best scenario would be that the explosion form the station will take out most, if not all, of the ships surrounding it. Just because we're more outnumbered than we thought we would be doesn't mean we should just turn back. We go on with the mission, just like before."

Thamian grinned wolfishly, "Now I'm starting to understand your attraction to this little man; he's half-mad! I like it – looks to me like the stories about Captain No-Nerves are true. They say you show neither hesitation nor fear when faced with impossible odds."

Finn smiled, "Never tell me the odds, as Han would say. Alright, get ready. Poe? Do your thing."

Poe, already fully focused on the next step, made no reply but for a curt nod to acknowledge that he had heard Finn. He was leaning far over the controls, gazing out the view port with single-minded intensity. He waited until the last possible moment before detaching from the Star Destroyer. The larger ship slid easily into the station's bay, leaving the _Falcon_ floating just outside. With gentle taps of the thrusters, Poe guided the _Falcon_ very carefully to the hull of the station. With exaggerated slowness, the ship drew nearer to its target until a last, with a metallic _thump_ , the _Falcon_ was secured to the station. Poe let out a massive sigh and leaned back in his seat, "Well. That was easy. Now comes the fun part."

Finn chuckled and shook his head, "You know, sometimes I wonder about your sanity. Okay; we'll be operating with mind-to-mind communication only; Thamian, we can make ourselves heard to you, and we can hear you as well, so just _think_ you responses, okay?"

Thamian nodded, "I'm used to it, working with Blue. First time she did it though, I just about had a coronary." Twila chuckled at the memory.

Finn nodded in satisfaction, "Okay, everyone. I don't want any unnecessary risks, okay? Just be smart, keep your heads down, and get out alive."

Poe cocked his head, "What if the worst should happen – say we were discovered? Then what?"

Finn gave a wolfish grin of his own, echoing Thamian's, "Well, then, things would get very interesting very quickly, wouldn't they? If we are discovered, use everything you've got, and I mean _everything_. Force included," he added, looking at Twila, who nodded with a steely look in her eye. Finn grabbed a small bag from behind his seat, "Here; put these on." From inside the bag, they drew a number of white scarves and hoods. "Use them to cover your hair and faces. We want to keep our little gorilla group a secret for as long as we can. Okay; from here on out, mental communication only," _Got it?_ Finn received nods from the other three as they all swathed their hair (or Lek'ku, in Twila's case) and faces in the white scarves, making sure they were secure enough to withstand the most aggressive movements. As one, they hurried to the emergency hatch and began to put on the suits they had stashed there for easy access. Once they were so adorned, Finn sealed the door and opened the emergency hatch; this would be left open so they would be able to return as quickly as they left.

Finn left first, engaging his mag-boots and pressing them firmly to the hull of the station, waiting until he heard the _hiss-thunk_ that told him they had engaged. He took a couple of slow strides away as Twila came next, followed by Poe, and finally Thamian, who had the bag full of explosives slung tightly across his back. Finn felt out with his mind, searching for anyone who knew where the nearest maintenance hatch was located. Finn found the information he needed after only a moment, and told the others, _It's up there; follow me as quickly as these boots will let you. I don't like how exposed we are out here._ Finn led the way to the hatch, but their progress was slow – much slower than Finn liked. He felt naked out here; they were sitting ducks, and he knew it. At last, after what seemed like an hour, they reached the hatch and Finn reached for Thamian, _You're up; work fast and get us in._ Thamian gave no answer, but made his way to stand beside Finn, reaching for the control panel. It took him half the time Finn expected, and within a few moments, they were standing in the maintenance tunnel. They stood still for a moment while their bodies recovered from the lack of gravity, heads spinning. As soon as they recovered, they stripped out of the suits, stashing them beside the hatch and double-checking their scarves before heading for the main tunnels. Finn navigated them quickly, thanking his lucky stars that he had been assigned to sanitation while in the First Order. Poe's interest was peaked at this revelation, _Sanitation? Really? Huh. I never figured you for one to go slogging through shit..._ Finn narrowed his eyes and thought back, _Shut up. I need to concentrate. We need to keep communication to a minimum, just to be safe. No telling who might be on this station._

At last, they reached the end of the cramped and stuffy tunnels; Finn opened the hatch carefully, reaching out with his mind to be sure the hallway beyond was clear. Thanking the Powers, he slid quickly out of the tunnel, taking a grateful breath of fresh, cool air. In his element now, he led the way quickly and silently down the hall, heading for the center of the station. Thamian's thought came to him, _Are you sure you know where you're going?_ Finn paused, searching the next hallway, before turning quickly left and answering, _Yes, I know where I'm going. All First Order vessels are built the same._ Just then, Finn motioned for silence as they heard the familiar sound of many Stormtroopers marching up the hallway. They held their breath as the 'Troopers approached, then paused, talking amongst themselves.

"Man, sometimes I just feel like pulling an FN-2187 and getting the hell out of here." One Stormtrooper muttered conspiratorily to another.

"Shhh," said a second Stormtrooper, "That mad bastard Ren might hear. Ever since he came on board, I feel like we're constantly being wathched." Finn exchanged wide-eyed glances with the others.

The first Stormtrooper scoffed, "Yeah, right. He's so fucked up that he's got Hux and Captain Phasma constantly waiting on him hand and foot. Kylo Ren really did a number on him; I guess he really _has_ turned sides. Hell, I doubt anyone would miss us if we _did_ manage to get the fuck out of here." Just then, Finn sensed a terrible presence enter the hall, a terrible anger emmanating from him.

"Master Ren may be in no condition to hear your treason," came the unmistakable altered voice of one of the Knights of Ren, "but I can hear you just fine. Perhaps it is my temper you should think twice about testing, not that broken would-be Sith in the throne room. I doubt he's even..." the Knight's words were suddenly cut off by a terrible gasping, choking sound. They heard the sound of scrabbling feet, then something heavy fell to the floor, followed by labored panting.

A terrible voice filled the hallway, "You think I hear nothing because I am... _damaged_? No. I hear and see everything. Go about your business, and I want no more senseless talk of treason. And I _am_ a full Sith, not some pretender like Kylo Ren or the pathetic Darth Vader. I have strength and power they could never understand. Now go." The voice faded into silence, and the sound of rushing feet echoed through the halls.

"I _will_ find a way, Ren. Someday, your head will be mine, and _I_ will be Master..." The Knight stormed away, fuming and still muttering to himself.

Finn saw their chance and took it. Rushing forward, they made a right, then a left, and so on. Turn after exhaustingly stressful turn they made, until Finn smiled in satisfaction as they entered a large chamber with one of the four massive reactor cores loomed before them. _Quickly, now_ , Finn thought at the others. From the corner of his eye, he saw each one nod as Thamian began to distribute the charges. Three more times they repeated this process, until each of the four reactor cores was set with charges and the timer set for one hour; that should give them the time they needed to get off the station and be long gone before the charges went off. _Now for the easy part,_ Finn thought to the others, who smirked in return.

Their celebration came too soon, however. The terrible voice of Master Ren rang once more through the chamber, but this time it echoed through the entire station, as well. "We have intruders. Find them and kill them all."

"Shit," said Poe, "So much for secrecy. What was that if the worst should happen? No holds barred, right? Hey, Thamian? I think it might be a bit tight in here for you vibrosword; knife work, I'm thinking."

Thamian grinned his bloodthirsty grin, "That's fine with me. I'm tired of this sneaking around, anyway. Let's go gut us some Stormtroopers. Present company excluded, of course."

Finn smirked and nodded his agreement, "Let's get the hell out of here as quickly as we can." Just then, a wave of Stormtroopers charged into the room. Finn and Twila stepped forward, drawing no weapon, but thrusting forward their empty right hands. The lines of soldiers were hurled end-over-end through the air, many slamming into the walls with a nauseating _crack_ as many spines, necks, and skulls were crushed beyond any hope of repair. At that moment, the Knight they had heard earlier stalked around the corner, light-saber drawn in anticipation. Finn and Twila glanced at each other before drawing their own hidden light-sabers and engaging them. Without warning, they sprung at the Knight, who fell back, unprepared for the suddenness of their onslaught. Shock was evident in his every move until he got his rhythm back, and began to press back. Finn flung a line of thought out to Poe and Thamian, _Go! Get back to the ship; we've got this. RUN!_ Thamian grabbed Poe's arm and threw him forward; Poe had been standing stock-still, staring at his Bond-Brother with somethig akin to shock in his eyes. The two rushed off, Thamian forging the way forward with his wicked daggers lashing out at anything unfortunate enough to be standing before him.

Finn felt amusement come from the Knight as Finn and Twila sprung as one, bringing them down in perfect syncornization. Twila would spring forward, concnetrating on the Knight's left, while Finn took his right. In short order, Finn sensed their opponent's fear as Finn slashed neatly across the Knight's chest, Twila's blow falling in exactly the same spot seconds after Finn, leaving their opponent to fall to the ground in two halves. Finn and Twila soon met up with the remainder of their party, turning the tide of the battle as they fought their way to the maintenance tunnels. Rushing through, they found their space suits and struggled into them before leaving the way they came in and making their way awkwardly to the _Falcon_. Poe tore out of his suit once the emergency hatch was closed and ran for the cockpit. Finn, Twila, and Thamian followed, strapping themselves in as Poe punched it, eager to get as far away as they could. Before long, a shudder ran through the _Falcon_ as an explosion ripped through Du'Tang station. Turning the _Falcon_ so they could see, the companions watched as flames blossomed out from the station for a moment, only to be smothered by the vacuum of space; the shockwaves slammed into the surrounding ships, causing their reactors to become unstable and explode. It was like a vicious and explosive game of dominoes. Having seen enough, Poe returned the ship to its former trajectory and entered the calculations for the jump to lightspeed. The inky blackness around them faded into bright white lights streaming around them as the stars and planets rushed by, leaving the gruesome scene far behind them.

***Author's Note***

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter; I had a good time writing it, though it did fight me a little. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave your comments in the reviews section! I dearly love reading your reactions. Oh, and I know I said this would only go about 32 chapters, but it's looking like I'll have to go a bit past that. But still, it's looking like the end is in sight; I can see it now, so not too much longer to go on this one!


	29. Chapter 29

***Author's Note***

Good evening, my dear friends! Lots to get through in this chapter, so it took a little longer to write than usual. Some fun, some sad, but lots of friendship in this chapter. ^_^ I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

***End Note***

The trip back to Tagoria seemed to take half the time that it took to reach Du'Tang; by the time they arrived, there was a veritable _mob_ waiting for them. It seemed that the news of their success had traveled faster than they had, which really shouldn't have been that big of a surprise; it was a well-known fact that gossip traveled faster than anything else in the galaxy. As the loading ramp lowered, the General herself stepped forward to greet them. Wrapping an arm around Finn and Poe, she towed them through the crowd, pausing here and there to allow the small group to be congratulated by those present. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the edge of the gathered crowd and they hurried to one of the many briefing rooms. Gratefully, Finn, Twila, Poe, and Thamian sank into the available chairs, ears still ringing from the noise of the crowd.

Leia stood before them, waiting for their report, "Well?" She asked, unable and unwilling to wait any longer, "How did it go?"

Finn sighed before responding, "It went perfectly except for one thing; there was a variable that we had not expected or thought to plan for – Padme was there." Leia looked up sharply at her daughter's name and paled, "She alerted the entire station to our presence shortly after we had placed all of the charges. We were swarmed by every 'Trooper on the station, not to mention the Knight of Ren that had been there, also."

Leia's eyes narrowed, "It seems there were many things that our intel did not mention; anything else?"

Finn nodded, "Ben was right; it was definitely a trap – it seemed like every ship in the sector had been assembled there. I guess there were at least thirty thousand troops there; we dealt the First Order a serious blow when the station went up. It took the whole fleet with it, ma'am. Twila and I had to draw our light-sabers in order to get past the Knight, but we all had our hair and faces covered with scarves, so hopefully they didn't get a good image of us. Hopefully Padme didn't know who we were just by our thoughts – that's the only way I can figure that she knew we were there. Unless, of course, we have another traitor, but I don't think so. Honestly, I think she alerted the station to our presence for her own entertainment. Otherwise, she would never have allowed us to place the charges." Leia lsitened, nodding as Finn gave his report, "I don't think she was caught in the explosion, General. I'm fairly certain that she was on a shuttle off of the station while we were still being delayed by the 'Troopers and the Knight. I'd wager that she only alerted the station to our whereabouts so that she could get to safety, herself; she had probably hoped that we would be caught in our own explosion."

Leia raised an eyebrow, "There's a lot of hopeful probability in that report," her eyes glinted with wicked humor, "However, I'm going to have to agree with you on this one. Now; about the explosion itself – describe it to me."

Finn nodded, "After the initial set of explosions, a massive shockwave came from the station, causing the reactors of the ships around the station to go critical; I believe the initial shockwave may have sent out a low-level EMP. After each set of explosions thereafter, another lesser shockwave hit the next group of ships. It was a massive chain reaction that I don't think anything could have survived. The entire fleet that was stationed there was completely decimated."

Leia nodded again, but with satisfaction this time, "Well, it would seem that you've done the Resistance a great service. Well done, all of you. It was very brave to continue the mission after you realized that our information was incredibly inaccurate. I am very proud of all of you. Now; Captain Rar – what is it that you're planning to do now?"

Thamian chuckled, "Well, if it's all the same to you, General, I've been too long among _civilized_ folks. I think I'd like to get back to my...ah... _legitimate_ business practices."

Leia chuckled, "Oh, you mean smuggling? Han told me about you a few times. He said you were the most decent smuggler he'd ever met. He used to joke that if there was ever a smuggler that was likely to join the Rebels, it would have been you, not him. He was very fond of you, Thamian."

Thamian smiled sadly, "Thank you, General. We were all fond of Han. I was deeply saddened to hear of his death. If you ever need my assistance, Blue knows how to reach me. Just let her know, and I'll make my way to you with all the haste I can muster."

Leia chuckled, "Han always did say that you had a silver tongue on you. Well, it was a pleasure to finally meet you; I hope we'll see you again soon."

The group parted ways with the General, each saluting neatly. Finn, Twila, and Poe walked Thamian to the landing pad, where his freighter stood, patiently awaiting his return. Thamian shook Finn and Poe's hands and grabbed Twila up in a bone-crushing hug before turning and walking with his mile-and-a-half stride up the ramp to his ship. The three friends stood, watching Thamian'a ship shrink into the atmosphere until it was gone. Finn gave Twila a squeeze and she leaned her head on his shoulder, saying, "I'll see him again, and soon. He has the oddest tendency to show up, exactly when I need him to, whether I know it or not." Turning to Finn, she added, "I'm going to figure out where my quarters will be, then I'm going to get some rest. I'm exhausted."

Finn smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Twila's head, "Rest well, then. Come on, Poe; I want to see how Ben is doing. It's been about week; I'm sure he's alright by now." Finn's confidence did not last long, however. As they reached Ben and Rey's quarters, the door slid open and a sobbing Rey flung herself out of the room and into Finn's arms. Finn felt the blood drain out of his face as he exchanged a panicked glance with Poe, "Rey, Ben hasn't...he's not..."

Rey shook her head and sniffed hugely, "No, he's alive," she answered thickly, "He's been in a coma since you left. I'm so glad you're back – I've been in need of distracting. I was actually just going to visit him; would you two like to come?"

Finn wrapped an arm around Rey's shoulders and Poe did the same on Rey's other side. Rey reciprocated by wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders and walking slowly towards the medbay. "So; you have got to tell me how it went. Leia told me you were going to Du'Tang station. Was it as bad as Ben thought it would be?"

Finn shook his head, "No – it was way worse. To be honest, we were lucky to get out of there alive. If it wasn't for Thamian's massive vibrosword, I don't think we'd have managed to get out of there in one piece." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rey shoot him an amused, knowing glance.

"Well, no need to be modest, Finn. I'm sure you did your part. Tell me everything; was it exciting? Did you come up with a terribly daring plan?" She chuckled, obviously enjoying having someone to tease again.

Finn rolled his eyes, humoring her, "Actually, it _was_ rather daring, if I do say so myself. It went like this..." For the rest of the walk to the medbay, Finn and Poe took turns telling a much-altered story of their time aboard Du'Tang station, both being sure to edit out the Knight and anything having to do with Finn and Twila's Force abilities. Rey proved to be an excellent audience. She laughed heartily at the idea of hiding the _Falcon_ in plain sight on the underbelly of the Star Destroyer, and again on the side of the station itself. She nearly went into hysterics at the thought of hiking up the side of the station in their fairly ridiculous-looking space suits, wiping tears away as she laughed. Her eyes popped wide at the revelation that Finn seemed to now be a folk hero amongst the Stormtrooper ranks, and she gasped out loud when they were discovered by Padme herself.

She was still chuckling over their narrow escape when they reached the medbay, "I must admit, Finn, you are one ballsy man." She took a deep breath and dropped her arms before striding solemnly into the medbay.

Three massive but slightly-built Tagorians stood staring at various bits of machinery, talking to each other in their strange, guttural language; it was nearly like a bark, but more feline in nature. One of them stalked over to the visitors and spoke to Rey in Basic, "Early is your coming today. No change has there been in your mate, but fear not. It is hard that we are working on him for you. It is welcome that friends have come to visit him – we know often that it is the case with Force-Users that good feeling and concern for well-being is a helpful thing. We welcome you, friends of Master Solo; please stay as long as you like, if quiet you stay."

They thanked the Tagorian doctors and walked further into the medbay, following Rey who seemed to know where she was going. As one of the doctors passed out of their line of vision, they saw him. Ben was lying on a bed, motionless, and clothed in the unrelieved white that marked a medical patient. It was nearly as though he were sleeping, save for the veins of black that course through his paler-than-normal skin, giving the impression of someone barely holding on to life. As if to aid in this impression, various machines were placed around Ben, with wires leading from them to his body. Finn had never seen Ben look so weak, not even after he'd lost his limbs – even then, he'd looked...vital, somehow. He'd been damaged, yes, and he'd needed a lot of help, but he wasn't _helpless_. Even "crippled", he'd been able to protect both himself and Rey. Now, though, he genuinely looked _weak_. It was profoundly disturbing to Finn, and he felt the blood drain again from his face as hie eyes were drawn to Rey. She stood, close beside Ben's bed, holding his hand in both of her own, murmuring softly to him. She bent and kissed him gently on the forehead before returning to Finn's side. It struck him, then, how pale and thin she looked – how distant and misty her eyes looked; it was almost as though she were going transparent. The light of her soul seemed to shine from her more than ever, and Finn realized then what it truly meant to share a Force-Bond of this magnitude with someone. He'd always _understood_ the fact that if one half of a Force-Bond died, the other half generally followed swiftly, but now, he truly _comprehended_ the concept without a moment's confusion. He saw it in the complete peace in Rey's eyes, and felt it in the sorrow in Rey's heart – she knew, one way or another, she and Ben would be together, and it ripped Finn's heart from his chest.

Finn had to swallow a few times before he could find the voice to ask in a whisper, "Rey...What happened?"

Rey sighed as she looked mournfully back at Finn and motioned at the beds further in the back of the room. The three took seats on one of the beds, Finn on one side and Poe on the other. As Rey settled beside him, Poe reached a brotherly arm around Rey's shoulders, drawing her close to him and resting her head on his shoulder while Finn took her hand. She sighed again before speaking softly, "It was Padme. Ben tried to reach her again, but this time, she was in no mood to talk. She forced pure Darkness into Ben, poisoning him. It dragged him so quickly into the darkness that I thought I would never manage to reach him in time, but with Luke and Leia's help, I did. Together, we burned the initial darkness out of him, but some of the poison remains. It's lucky that the Tagorians have worked with Jedi for so long; they know the herbs and techniques to use on him. Even so, they said they've never seen such an advanced case occur so quickly. They are concerned that there may be... _lasting_ damage, but considering how quickly we managed to get to him, they are hopeful. The sickness is in his veins, but his heart still beats strongly and his breathing is even. They told me that's a good thing, but it's small comfort when all I want is for his beautiful amber eyes to open and to hear him speak to me. And the pallor of his skin...it scares me. He looks like he's dead already, and I would think he were, if not for the constant thrum of his Force-Signature and the beeping of those confounded machines. I've never felt so thoroughly useless." Rey sighed as she drifted into silence for a moment, "It helps, though, having you here now. Leia seems convinced that Ben will wake up just in the nick of time for the wedding; I've begged her to put the damn thing off and stop obsessing about it, but she won't listen to me. Go figure," she chuckled weakly.

Finn, however, had a different take on the situation, "Rey, the General has never been wrong before. She was convinced her son wasn't gone before, and she was right; he came back to her then, too. She knows her son better than anyone, except for you. I've never had a mother, but I've heard that you should never question a mother's intuition. She's not the type to foster false hope, Rey. If she thought she was going to lose her son forever, I have no doubt that she would be in here with you every moment of every day. So, take her absence as a good sign, rather than a bad one."

Rey stared at Finn for a moment, as though she had never seen him clearly before. When she finally did speak, it was with a slightly dazed tone, "Huh. Well, I never looked at it that way before. Maybe you're right, Finn. Thank you." Leaning away from Poe for a moment, she reached over and gave Finn a squeeze. For the next three weeks, Finn and Poe found themselves frequently visiting with Ben and Rey. Even though Finn knew Ben probably couldn't hear him, he still hated the thought of not being there for him. In between visits, however, the General had him on a far less enjoyable duty.

***Author's Note***

Ahhhhhh. Finn and Rey are together again! Yaaay! Personally, I adore the friendship between the two of them. Next chapter will be awesome. Hope you're ready for it! As ever, thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review! 3


	30. Chapter 30

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, my dears! This one has taken me a little due to extreme distraction! Here, we meet yet another character that will be making an appearance in _Darksaber_. I know, I know; I keep teasing little tidbits, but I can tell you now that, at the most, there will be only five more chapters to this one, then _Darksaber_ will begin! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn bit back a groan as he listened to yet another speech from a Tagorian delegate on the fragility of the arrangement that they had with the Resistance. The last few weeks, it seemed, had garnered very few results (not counting headaches) – not that the General would listen to him, of course. He was beginning to see that Leia Organa-Solo listened to no one. Finn rubbed absently at the spot in his neck that had tensed, giving him a slight pounding in his head. He got to his feet in response to the delegate's statement that "The Resistance only takes, but never gives."

Clearing his throat, he spoke, "If that is so, then kindly inform me who it is that has been helping with various tasks around this city? The families of active Resistance members are out there right now, scrubbing floors, sowing fields, harvesting fruit, hunting, shall I go on? I've even seen some Resistance members lending a hand in the medbay; I spend enough time there to personally see what goes on. I, myself, have been known to lend a hand with various crafting jobs; turns out I'm handy with a needle – who'd have thought? Before you set the Resistance up as careless leaches, representative, be sure you have your facts straight, or at the very least, that there's no one in the room with evidence to the contrary." Finn sat down slowly, fuming. He took a slow, deep breath through his nose and let it out just as slowly through his mouth. The Tagorian beside him glanced at him, his eyes twinkling.

Finn found that it was incredibly difficult to read the feline species, but still, he found them fascinating. The smallest of them reached a height of seven feet; they usually made Finn feel smaller than he already did. However, he was getting better at reading the strong-willed creatures. The large male beside him had deep black fur and striking blue eyes; Finn thought him most becoming, for a Tagorian. His name was Huur, and they had built quite the rapport – Finn's relationship with Twila had become common knowledge in these meetings. With some, it brought him great respect. Others, however, thought inter-species relationships were not only revolting, but anathema. Huur was one of the former. He had even taken to calling her "Blue", as Thamian did. Once again, for what seemed like the hundredth time today, Finn sought Thamian out in the Force, just to be sure he was safe. Sure enough, there he was on Coruscant, selling...questionable...creatures as pets. Finn subdued a smirk and brought his attention back to the task at hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Huur eyeing him contemplatively; Finn had the strangest feeling that Huur knew _exactly_ what he'd been doing just now when he checked on Thamian. Just then, the ancient Tagorian leader, Yara, spoke up, "That will do for now. It is time, in my belief, to allow the representative for the Resistance to speak. I introduce to you now, Captain Finn "No-Nerves"; Captain? The time is now for your rebuttal."

Finn nodded graciously and stood, walking around to where the previous speaker had stood. Much to his chagrin and the Tagorians' amusement, a stool had to be brought around so that Finn could see over the podium at the front of the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, honored delegates: We are here today to discuss the current and future relationship between the Tagorians and the Resistance. It is General Organa-Solo's belief that inter-species relations is..."

Just then, a pure white Tagorian interrupted Finn, saying, "Yes, we all know how you value inter-species relations, _Captain_." This comment earned growling chuckles throughout the room, which grew steadily louder until there was a loud _boom_ that echoed through the chamber.  
Yara had crashed his massive fist on the table, bringing silence to the meeting, "No business of yours is the Captain's choice of mate. Even if he were mated to a Wookie, no concern of yours would it be."

Finn cleared his throat delicately, "With all due respect, sir, I am good friends with a Wookie; I would never mate with one. I'd be too afraid that she'd tear me in half in her passion." This response caused the room to erupt in the odd barking, feline roars that Finn had come to realize was the way they laughed. Smiling to himself, Finn held up his hands for silence, "Now as I was saying, It is General Organa-Solo's belief that inter-species relations is, perhaps, the most important difference between us and the First Order. This is why she has granted me the position of Speaker for the Resistance. As it has been pointed out, I am good friends with a Wookie, and my mate is, indeed, a Twi'lek. She believes that this gives me a _unique_ view of the matter. I know that many of you feel that we take more than we give, but allow me to respectfully disagree. Besides the areas that I mentioned a moment ago, the Resistance provides Tagoria with added protection. The First Order has been striking with no warning all across the galaxy, leaving few survivors, if any at all. Our presence here is a safeguard between you and them. Whether you believe we are of use or not is irrelevant, however, compared to the larger matter at hand. The First Order is growing more bold with every passing day. It is imperative that we come up with a plan for how we plan to deal with this looming threat. Believe me, good delegates, the First Order will not simply pass you by; they will eventually come here. Even if the Resistance was not here, the First Order would still come, simply for the sake of domination. I urge you all to begin planning for such a contingency; the Resistance may not be able to protect you forever. The time has come for you to decide which side of this thing you will be on." The end of Finn speech was greeted with many feline roars of outrage; a large number of the delegates were so upset that they reverted to their native tongue, growling amongst themselves. Some, though, like Huur and Yara, sat back in their chairs, thinking his words through carefully before speaking.

At long last, Yara thumped his fist once more on the table for silence and raised his voice so he could be clearly heard, "That is _enough_. Deliberation over what we have heard _will_ be done, but not today. To your mates go home, and think well on this."

With that, the various delegates stood and began to head for the exits; Finn waited until the room was all but empty before following them. Huur matched his pace to Finn, looking down at him with a feline smile on his face. "A riot you nearly caused today, No-Nerves." Huur chuckled, deep in his throat, "It is a brave one you are, for certain. _My_ vote, at least, has been cast. In battle would I join you, my small human friend." Even for a Tagorian, Huur was absolutely massive. He was Yara's grandson and had inherited not only the wise old leader's stature, but his coloring, as well; Huur had the same piercing blue eyes and inky-black fur. Finn, at his modest five feet, nine inches, hardly cleared Huur's waist. The massive Tagorian must have been, at the very least, eleven feet tall – a staggering height, even for a Tagorian. The massive male had to bend over double, just to look Finn in the face. Huur often teased Finn that he had to be careful not to step on him. "And your pretty mate – where is she today?"

Finn smiled, "She's with Master Luke."

Huur thrummed deep in his chest, "Ah; training she is, then. About time, too. Come now," Huur bent low to breathe in Finn ear, "I figured out your secret, little friend. I can smell the Force on you." Straightening again, he commented, "So; into the trees, then?"

Finn shrugged, "Yeah; she's not going to be terribly happy about this, though." Huur thrummed his deep chuckle again as they headed out of the city.

As they walked around a corner and down some stairs that led to the very edge of the forest; just as their feet touched the grass, a group of children (mostly human and Twi'lek), under the strict eyes of their mothers came sprinting around the corner. Huur froze in place to keep from stepping on one of them by mistake. Knowing their favorite jungle gym on sight, they swarmed him, tickling him as they climbed up his legs, making him laugh again. He roared playfully, reaching down to some of the smaller children and allowing them to take hold of his claws, being very careful not to pierce their delicate skin. Laughing raucously, he put the children on his back and shoulders, "Hold on," he rumbled in his deep base. He walked carefully forward, keeping his pace as slow as he could while children clung to his legs, back, and shoulders, giggling excitedly and more swarmed around his feet, being careful not to be trod upon. Their mothers laughed amongst themselves as they watched the massive Tagorian entertain their children for a moment, even calling greetings to Finn. After a few minutes, Huur knelt down and began to deposit children back onto the ground, amid many complaints. Waving goodbye to the children and their caretakers, Huur and Finn continued on their way into the forest.

Before long, Huur's nose began to twitch, and he sneezed, sounding so much like a house cat that Finn snorted out a laugh, clinging to a tree to keep from falling over. Huur sneezed again, and Finn stared up at him, perplexed, "What, are you allergic to something?"

Huur shook his head as the threat of another sneeze made his nose twitch, "No; it is the use of the Force. Such strong energies make my nose twitch; it is how your secret came to be known to me. The sound of it must be rather odd to you, but I have always been sensitive to the Force; it has a particular scent to it, and it is all over you, my little human friend."

Finn chuckled at his friend as they walked through the trees. Huur was perfectly at home here, pushing onward through the trees as though it were nothing – for him, the vines were probably minor irritants. Suddenly, Huur knelt in front of Finn, crossing his arms in front of his own face protectively. With no warning, a massive log shattered against Huur's forearms. Huur stood, leading Finn forward a few more steps, until they could see Luke directing Twila in the use of the Force. Luke glanced up and saw them, just in time for Twila to send two more logs in their direction; this time, however, Huur was ready. He sprung forward, catching both logs before they could do any damage. Luke shouted for Twila to stop, and she spun around, her blue skin terribly pale, "Oh, Finn, are you alright? I'm sorry; I didn't know you were there!"

Finn chuckled, "Yes, I'm fine. Huur took good care of me, and before you start shouting, I didn't tell him anything; he figured it out. He figured me out, too."

Twila glanced up at Huur in stunned silence, "Huh. Well, I suppose I couldn't keep it a secret forever. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

Huur sat on the ground beside Twila so he could bring his enormous blue eyes to her pink ones, "Have no fear, Little Blue. This secret is not for me to divulge. Your privacy is safe, my little friend. I wish to see both of you work. The Force is not something with which I am blessed, so it is curiosity I feel most strongly."

Finn and Twila glanced at each other and shrugged. For the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening, they sparred using fist, Force, and light-saber. Huur watched every move the pair made with extreme focus and interest, though he was careful to always keep out of the way. At last, as the light faded from the sky, Finn and Twila could not continue. "Have you seen enough yet? I don't think I can do anymore," Finn panted while Twila threw herself on the forest floor, agreeing wholeheartedly. Huur laughed at the pair of them before saying good night and returning to the city.

Finn and Twila made straight for the mess hall and ate as quickly as they could without being rude. Once they were done, not having seen Poe anywhere, they figured he was with some female, and retired to Twila's quarters. They were both so exhausted when they finally reached them that they stripped off their clothes, climbed into bed, and were instantly asleep. Twila woke first, feeling vaguely troubled about something, though she could not put her finger on it. Instead, she stood and paced, naked, to the window, gazing out at the beautiful view of the forest that she had been granted. She sighed happily before spinning around just in time for Finn to sit bolt upright, startling a gasp out of her.

"It's Ben," he said. "He's finally awake."

Twila cleared her throat, "Oh. Go; you should be there for your friends." Finn sprung out of bed, hurried into his clothes, and kissed Twila goodbye. On his way out the door, he called for Poe, _Poe! Get up! It's Ben; he's awake!_

***Author's Note***

Okay, so, interesting scene. I enjoyed the idea of making Finn Leia's personal ambassador to the Tagorians, and thus far it's worked out pretty well. Next chapter, we're going to skip over Ben and Rey's wedding that we saw in For the Girl and all that jazz. Hope you had fun with this chapter; feel free to leave your comments, my friends!


	31. Chapter 31

***Author's Note***

Hey, all! Sorry I haven't updated lately; I've been under the weather, but I'm on the mend now! Hope you like this chapter - as I said, it's going to skim over the wedding. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Somewhere on the way to the medbay, Finn and Poe came across Chewie, and the three of them hurried together on their way. At last, the trio made it to the medbay, but in their haste, managed to wedge themselves tightly in the doorway. The Tagorian doctors paused in their work to stare incredulously at the spectacle of two humans and a Wookie in such an odd predicament. There were some scattered, growling chuckles, until a menacing growl rumbled from deep within Chewie's throat, sending the doctors hastily back to their work. After a very great deal of highly undignified twisting and wriggling, the three finally burst, panting, into the room at which time, Chewie stood as straight as he could, glaring around as if to say, "You didn't see that." Finn and Poe hastily straightened their tunics and _walked_ quickly over to Ben's bed. "You're awake," cried Finn happily, grinning widely at him as Ben and Rey withdrew from the embrace they had been sharing. "I'm glad you're gonna be okay. Rey's been a real mess. You'd better be ready to get married, though. Your mother's been working like a woman possessed for the last four weeks. The wedding is set for tomorrow! Makes me wonder is she didn't have some kind of vision or something. She sure seemed to know a hell of a lot more than the rest of us!" Finn finished with a laugh.

 _Wouldn't surprise me in the least_ , came Poe's thought, dripping with amusement. Out loud, he said, "I hope you'll let me be your Best Man. Luke's officiating, so I hope you'll let me..."

Finn sensed Ben's genuine surprise and pleasure at Poe's request as he accepted wholeheartedly. The group chattered away happily until the General came bustling in to see her son for herself, talk wedding details, and ultimately to shoo Finn, Poe, and Chewie out of the medbay so Ben and Rey could get some rest. She looked so much like she was herding geese, and yet was so terrifying in her stern manner that Finn could not help but laugh out loud; the contradiction was just too much for him Leia raised an eyebrow and smacked him on the back of his head. With Poe joining in the laughter, the pair ducked under Chewie's massive arm and darted out the door and up the hallway, laughing like a pair of delinquent teenagers who had just pulled one over one their teacher.

The next twenty-four hours sped by as Finn and Poe somehow managed to be shanghaied into service, hanging drapes, arranging flowers, and anything else that wedding preparation called for. Finn had the sneaking suspicion that this was the General's way of getting back at them for their cheek. Well, Finn supposed he deserved it in a way, but he was happy to help, if it made the day more wonderful for Rey. _Although,_ he thought to himself, _I'd rather be doing almost anything else besides arranging_ _ **flowers**_ _. How will my men ever take me seriously again?_ Finn sighed as he lifted yet another strand of hanging flowers to drape them elegantly over the arch that Rey and Ben would be married under. _I wonder what Twila would like for a wedding. Huh. What are Twi'lek weddings even like? I suppose they'd be fairly similar to human ones. Huh. Am I seriously thinking about this right now?_

Poe, who had been standing behind Finn for some time without Finn noticing him, leaned in and said, "You sure as hell are, and it's so loud that I wouldn't be surprised if she could hear you."

Finn shouted and jumped, scattering flowers everywhere as his heart hammered in his chest. "Poe, you...You're such a...DAMN IT, POE!" Finn kicked at Poe as the latter ran, laughing maniacally down the stairs before stopping short, right in front of the General herself. Leia raised a distinctly displeased eyebrow at the famed pilot, saying nothing. She raised her hand, pointing to the platform Finn was standing on with very clear intent. Looking like a dog that has been whipped by its master, Poe slumped up the stairs and started to help Finn clean up the mess.

Twila came dancing up the stairs with a wicker basket in her arms, giggling at the two of them. "Here; put the flowers in here. The bridesmaids can scatter them on the way up the aisle – it'll be enchanting. Oh, I just love weddings! Twi'lek weddings aren't much different, though we tend to share a goblet of wine, rather than twisting a ribbon around each others' hands, but who cares!? I love weddings, whether they're Twi'lek or human. Or any _other_ species, for that matter! Anyway, I'd better get back to work; bye!" With that, she bounced up on her toes to kiss Finn, full on the lips and dance her way down the stairs again.

Poe and Finn glanced at each other, both feeling like they'd been in the center of a hurricane for a moment. At last, Poe seemed to regain his voice as he cleared his throat and said, "Well, I'd say that settles that. She _definitely_ heard you." Finn smacked Poe in the shoulder and turned to gather up the scattered flowers, mumbling to himself.

The wedding did not disappoint. Finn had a front-row seat with Twila sitting next to him, and even he began to tear up when Rey entered the hall. Poe caught his eye and winked before jerking his thumb towards Ben. Finn glanced at the groom and just as quickly glanced away to keep from laughing. Ben looked as though his jaw had lost all muscle control and was hanging open while his eyes were so wide that Finn worried they might pop right out of their sockets; it was an altogether undignified look for the former Master of the Knights of Ren. At last, however, he seemed to recover as Poe leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Finn took Twila's hand as Ben and Rey exhchanged vows, squeezing it lightly. Ben lifted the veil, leaned in, and kissed Rey, and the entire room _erupted_. If Finn hadn't known any better, he'd have thought that a battle had broken out, there was so much noise. It seemed like the entire room surged forward, sweeping Finn with it; somehow, Twila's hand slipped from his, and they were separated for a moment. Reaching Ben and Rey, he hastily hugged them both and pounded Ben on the back before slipping back into the crowd to find Twila. He found her already halfway to the reception room; Finn leaned in and gave her a kiss before heading to the wedding table, where he knew that he had a seat beside Poe. The others filed in, filling out the table, and the necessary speeches were made; even _Finn_ managed to find the words to say to Rey. Finn ate and drank heartily, finding all the food to be excellent, not that he'd expected otherwise. Catching his thought, Poe leaned in and whispered, "I think if anything was any less than the General requested, the whole place just might burn in her fury."

Finn snorted into his soup, splashing it everywhere and earning himself a stare from the General, herself. Finn whispered back, "I can just see her now, standing on a chair just so she can _see_ the Tagorians to yell at them." Finn and Poe dissolved into hillarious laughter as Ben and Rey looked curiously in their direction. After many courses and perhaps a little _too_ much drink, a line of musicians filed into the reception room, settling in quickly and beginning to play. Ben and Rey wasted no time, heading immediately to the dance floor. Seeing his opportunity, Finn headed for Twila and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her to the dance floor and twirling her gracefully into his arms. In all the excitement, Finn hadn't even thought to look at Twila's dress; taking the chance to do so now, he nearly missed a step in the dance and stumbled for a moment on his own feet. She was wearing a slip of silver that flowed like water over her slim form and seemed to make her blue skin glow while her black stripes stood out, accentuating he curves. The back of the dress swoooped low, stopping just above her backside while the boddess of the dress left her shoulders bare. How the dress managed to cling to her at all and not simply fall to the floor was a complete mystery to Finn; not that he'd _mind_ if the dress came off, of course. On second thought, maybe he would; he'd hate to have anyone else staring at her. On her feet, Twila wore thin, strappy heels of a matching silver. Her Lek'ku had been hung artfully in front of her shoulders and adorned with lace and beads of a delicate, pale rose that brought out the pink of her eyes. It was a moment before Finn could speak again.

Twila smirked at him, "Finally noticed the dress, huh?" At Finn's numb, open-mouthed nod, Twila burst into giggles.

Finn refused to allow Twila to dance with any other man for the entire evening which, to be perfectly honest, was absolutely fine with her. She could stay in his arms for the rest of her life and she would not miss any of the outside world; he _was_ her world now. Glancing up for a moment, Finn saw Ben catch his eye and nodded, "I have to go see Ben and Rey off; don't go _anywhere_. I'll be right back." He made his way to where Ben and Rey stood waiting for him and said his goodbyes as the pair went off with their Tagorian escort to spend their honeymoon in peace. Finn returned to Twila, dancing and drinking for another few hours before Twila leaned in and whispered, "So, did you still want to see me out of my dress?" Finn smirked back, and they headed off to her quarters to celebrate on their own.

The next morning, Finn and Twila wandered in absolute peace, finding that the party was still in full-tilt. Finn caught sight of Poe and had to grab hold of the door frame to keep from falling over. Someone, some _where_ had managed to unearth a long, pink feathery wrap which had been draped artfully over Poe's bare shoulders and trailed down his back. That, however, was just the beginning. A vibrantly red wig had been shoved haphazardly onto his head where flaming ringlets trailed down his back. Someone had shoved him into a viciously tight, electric blue, strapless dress and mile-high white heels, upon which he tottered precariously. His face looked like it had been painted by a blind toddler, and he was (somehow) standing on a table, doing an odd shimmying wiggle while singing a popular song at the top of his rather ill-tuned voice in between swigs from an obviously alcholic bottle. Twila stood, staring at the spectacle with her mouth hanging open, "The only thing I can figure is that he's either entirely too drunk for his own good or he lost a bet. Or both."

Finn slid down the dooor frame, roaring with laughter. "Oh, he's _never_ going to live this down! I won't let him!" Twila helped him to his feet and up the hall, laughing with him. It was in this state that the General found them.

She cleared her throat from behind them, raising an eyebrow at them, "Well, it's good to see that you're enjoying yourselves. I certainly hope you're not drunk, Finn. You've got work to do with the Council this morning."

Finn straightened, "No, General. I'm not drunk. Just...look in the reception room, and you'll understand. I'll report to the council chambers immediately, General."

***Author's Note***

Yaay! More drunk Poe! I'm thinking he has a few problems, hahaha. Thanks for reading, and as ever, leave a review if you'd like!


	32. Chapter 32

***Author's Note***

CAUTION! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A SCENE OF INTENSE, DISTURBING VIOLENCE. **YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

Good evening, dear viewers! Hey, look; two chapters in one day! I _must_ be feeling better! Anywho, a bit of scenes we've seen in For the Girl, just from Finn's point of view. I put in a pretty rough scene here, so yeah. Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn rubbed at his pounding temples as the Council meeting exploded _again_ into shouted arguments. Finn's proposal had been under "debate" for two weeks now, and so far, they had gotten exactly nowhere. Finn laid his face in his hand, listening with growing aggravation. This particular session of pissing contests and shouting matches had started long before the sun had even risen this morning and Finn, for one, was beginning to feel the strain. Every day since the wedding, he'd been locked in the windowless room morning, noon, and night listening to the Tagorians argue back and forth over whether or not they should join forces with the Resistance. Precisely half of the Council, Huur among them, were in favor of the motion. The other half was stridently opposed to it.

Huur glanced down at his little friend in sympathy; he could tell that Finn was having trouble blocking all of the furious thoughts from those around him. Glancing at his Grandfather, Huur rose to his impressive height and slammed his fist down on the table, bellowing, "That is _enough_!" The massive marble table shuddered beneath his power and the room rang with the strength and authority in his deep voice. The entire room went deadly quiet; Huur was well known for his softspoken gentleness and love of peace which mad his outburst (and his position) all the more shocking. "All these arguments we have are for each other. And yet, among our number, who is there that can honestly say they have not been aided by the Resistance? Since your voices seem to have been stolen, this answer will I give for you: None. Even our economy has benefited. Better off we are now than before they came. No reason have you to disagree, save cowardice."

Huur's statement was met with furious growls and outraged yowls. Finn stood, intending to support his friend's statement when his head spun viciously. As he fell to the ground, the room around him vanished and the Force-Vision took over.

 _Captian Phasma paced the line of Twi'lkes that had been captured during the Naboo invasion. Beneath her helmet, her lip curled in a sneer; she hated these creatures. However, her Master said Phasma needed to find a specific one and bring it before Master Ren_ alive _. He'd been very specific about that. The damned creature_ had _to be alive. To her way of thinking, the more of these disgusting things that were wiped from the galaxy, the better. Breaking from her reverie, she grabbed a young, female orange Twi'lek – she thought it was a child, though they all looked the same to her – by the lek'ku and lifted it off the ground, smiling to herself as it screamed and cried. How anyone could find these things attractive was beyond her. It irked and revolted her that the traitor FN-2187 was rumored to have mated with one; it was this that fueled the vicious uppercut to the thing's stomach. She dropped it, only to grab both lek'ku and yank it back. Another orange female tried to burst from the lines, screaming, "My daughter! Please, don't hurt my baby! Please, I'll give you anything you want, just don't hurt my girl! She's only seven! Please, I'm begging you."_

 _Phasma jerked her head and her Stormtroopers brought the creature forward, holding it tightly. Dragging the smaller orange one to its feet, she snarled, "I care little for any of you creatures. What I was sent for is not here; none of you seem to know what I am talking about. Therefore, I think it fitting that mother and daughter should be close for their..._ final _moments." With that, Phasma drew a long dagger from beneath her cape and severed the young Twi'lek's head. The creature's mother lunged forward, madness in her eyes as he daughter's lifeless body fell to the ground. She shrieked in rage and grief, tearing viciuosly at the men holding her, and trying with all her might to get to Phasma, but it was no use. Phasma scoffed, "I got blood on my armor. Kill the rest of them; we can have no survivors to tell of what we're looking for." The Stormtroopers acknowledged their new orders and slaughtered every last Twi'lek. Phasma sighed happily to herself, "One less planet that has been infested by these..._ things _. Master Ren will be pleased."_

Finn jerked to awareness, gagging on the bile that had risen in his throat. Twisting away from the arms that were holding him, he vomited violently across the Council floor again and again until even the acid in his gut was emptied. Huur knelt over his friend, keeping him from collapsing into his own vomit, concern in his blue eyes. "What is it, little friend? What has happened?"

Finn blinked the tears from his eyes and wiped his mouth with his arm before speaking in a low rasp, "Twila...Twila saw...Phasma. Naboo...It's been attacked...They were looking for something...Said the Twi'leks would know where it was. She slaughtered them all, even the children." Finn gagged violently again, dry-heaving on all fours as terrible tremors wracked his body. "Have to find Twila...She saw it. She'll be in bad shape."

The entire chamber shuddered in silence; Naboo was a peaceful place, and Twi'leks generally kept to themselves unless you gave them a reason to fight. Why would someone slaughter Twi'leks? A sudden whispering hiss filled the chamber until Huur rose with Finn in his arms, "No deliberating; with cool heads we must discuss this. Finn and I will return this evening – I must take him to his mate."

As the door shut behind them, Finn knew they would not listen; the decision would be made by the time they returned. What that decision would be, however, he had no idea. Eventually, Huur carried Finn to a small briefing room, where Twila seemed to have collapsed as well. As Finn entered the room, she stirred and Huur set Finn down on his own feet so Finn could stumble over to Twila, who had begun to shake uncontrollably. Finn wrapped his arms tightly around her, "I know, Twila; I saw everything you saw. I'm so sorry. I know it was terrible, but we have to warn them. They need to know, Twila." Slowly, her tremors calmed as he stroked her back. She took one final deep breath and nodded into his chest. Carefully, Finn helped Twila get to her feet, still rubbing one hand on her back as he led her to a chair. "Would you rather I explain?"

Twila shook her head and began to explain to the gathered officers in short, gasping breaths what they had seen in their vision. As she went on, every face in the briefing room paled and some even looked rather nausious as she finished. "We have to go to Naboo; we've got to do _something_ to help them."

Leai nodded, "Finn, go and fetch Ben and Rey; I'm afraid we can't spare them any longer. We'll be in the main briefing room."

Finn nodded before he turned on his heel and sprinted out of the room. He tore through the jungle, sensing his way to Ben and Rey. Birds took flight and other creatures took to the trees at Finn's passing. Before long, he burst through the trees to find a sweet little cottage standing in a lovely clearing. Hurrying to the front door, he raised his hand to knock, but was surprised when it opened; they'd been expecting him, as had the little creature perched on Rey's shoulder. Finn dind't need to explain; apparently they'd already seen the same vision; he led them straight to the main briefing room. The General was already in the midst of a speech when they arrived, so Ben and Rey took the stage with their odd little companion to explain the vision that they'd shared. Glancing to the side at a flash of jet black fur, Finn saw Huur rushing towards him; as the Tagorian reached him, he leaned over, regret in his eyes, "My little friend; I searched for you, but could find you not. Without us, they made the decision. I am sorry – there was nothing I could do. Locked were the Council Chambers when I reached them after taking you to your mate." Finn felt the blood drain from his face and sank bonelessly into a chair and listened numbly as Yara gave the Council's decision not to aid the Resistance with troops. Huur shook his massive head, with an enormous tear in his great blue eye, "I am sorry, little friend. I tried."

Finn shook himself and reached over to stroke Huur's back carefully so as not to force any of his fur into an unnatural direction; very much like actual cats, Tagorians found it not only highly uncomfortable but extremely rude to storke the fur in the wrong direction. "It's okay, Huur. I know you did your best; we both did, for that matter." Huur nodded as the General hustled over to Finn and requested his presence in a more... _private_ war meeting later; Finn agreed and got to his feet, "I'll see you at the next meeting, Huur." Hurr grunted a response, but Finn was already halfway out of the room, hurrying after Ben and Rey with Poe hot on his heels.

Finding the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the quarters of two of your best friends is not generally considered a notmal thing, nor is there a handbook on how to handle such situations. No, in these instances, it's generally better to sit down, shut up, and try not to look as confused as you really are. Or, in this situation, considering there wasn't really anywhere _to_ sit, Finn and Poe stood, still somewhat in shock, as they listened to the legendary Jedi lay out the details of Rey's past. After what seemed like an age, the Jedi left, allowing Ben and Rey a moment with Rey's newfound past until they decided they oculd take no more of their enforced "third wheel" status and, through wit and sarcasm (though mostly just sarcasm), drew attention back to the fact that they were not only _in the room_ , but that the four of them still had a top secret briefing to get to.

Once they reached the meeting, Ben rushed to his mother, asking her what had happened. What Finn had no way of predicting, however, was _Twila's_ reaction to his inquiry. At his words, Twila's face contorted and she began screaming at Ben, saying terrible things to and about him, but also about Rey. Finn couldn't _believe_ the things that were coming out of her mouth; he stood, frozen, unable to comprehend the sheer hatred he felt coming from her. He never knew that she had such... _malice_ within her. At last, it took Luke's calm intervention and Twila sensing Ben's loss for herself to calm her and bring her back to herself. When she finally did return to her senses, Finn felt her shame rip through her like a knife. Finn head spun with all the information that had flooded into him in so short a time; their allies had turned tail (literally) and run from a fight, his mate had some _serious_ rage issues, Naboo was under attack, Tattooine was probably next, Padme was after the Darksaber, and Rey was the Granddaughter of the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi! Finn didn't know if he could take any more surprises today. At last, the General said that in three days, the party for Tatooine would leave. Finn breathed deep then took Twila's hand, leading her to the quarters he shared with Poe, "Twila, we need to talk."

***Author's Note***

Oooooo, cliffhanger! I know, I'm evil, but I'm tired. Therefore, enjoy the read as ever, and please leave a review, if you'd like! Thanks so much for reading!


	33. Chapter 33

***Author's Note***

Phew. So, we're just about done here. There will be two, _maybe_ three more chapters, and then I'll start work on _The Darskaber Resurfaces_! I'm soooo excited; I can't wait for y'all to see what I have in store for you. This chapter mostly skims over the events on Tattooine, but next chapter, we've got the Battle of Kashyyk and after that, just the happy ending chapter and we'll be done! Yaaaay! Enjoy!

***End Note***

Finn stood with his feet at shoulder-width and his arms crossed over his muscular chest, glaring at Twila, who was sitting dejectedly on her bed. "What the _hell_ was that all about? I explained everything to you! I told you his reasons for leaving the First Order, and I even told you his sister had poisoned him. What reason could you possibly have for treating my friends like that?" Finn stopped talking and started pacing, too angry to keep talking _or_ stay still.

When Twila finally answered him, it was in a voice so low that he almost didn't hear her, "I don't know what I was thinking, Finn. I don't really know what happened. I was just so _angry_ at what those _bastards_ did, and he was their most feared member for so long, I just... _snapped_. I'm so scared, Finn. I've never been so scared for my people in all my life. I'm so..." Twila broke off, sobbing.

Finn's heart softened at her tears and his anger seemed to melt away. He sat beside her, gathering her into his arms. "It's okay. It'll all work out, somehow. Just one question, thought. Why did you gasp when you saw his leg? I told you he'd lost it."

Twila chuckled weakly, "I know. I guess it's the difference between hearing something and _seeing_ it for yourself."

Finn nodded, "I can understand that. Will you be going to Naboo to help?"

Twila sat up, nodding as she wiped her face, "Yes. I can't just stay here and do nothing."

Finn sighed, "I thought you'd probably say that. Not that I can blame you, of course; I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I'm going with Ben and Rey to Tattooine; Poe and I promised to help her find whatever it was her father left behind for her. I've got the oddest feeling that they're right; Rey and Ben both said they thought Padme would go there next, and that she's looking for the Darksaber – I have an odd feeling, myself. I think whatever it is that Rey's father left her will have _something_ to do with the location of the Darksaber, and if that is so, then we really do need to beat Padme there, or who knows what kind of devastation might be unleashed. If she gets her hands on the Darksaber, it won't just be Twi'leks that are in danger anymore, it'll be every species in the entire galaxy, but especially people like you and me who are Force-Sensitive and friendly with the Resistance and the Jedi. I guess we both have to do whatever it is we have to do, don't you think?"

Twila nodded, "Until then, what do you say we climb into bed for a while?" Her eyes twinkled with mischief; Finn raised an eyebrow seconds before he lunged for her, causing her to squeal as he swept her off her feet and into his arms. He carried her to the bed they shared most nights and sunk with her onto it. He kissed her, deeply and she sighed as she settled into the bed. This was more than she had ever known that love could be; she would never be with another man, nor would she want to be. She trailed her fingers lightly up his back, knowing that here, at least, she was perfectly safe.

Three days later, Finn found himself standing in Rey's childhood home on Tattooine, wondering for what must have been the hundredth time who exactly he had managed to find himself in the company of such legends. He and Poe stood at the back of the common room, doing there best to melt into the wall and go unnoticed as Rey stood staring up at the image of the father she had lost when she was only seven. Curious, Finn slowly paced around the small room, being careful not to draw Rey's attention away from her father's image. It looked just like any other home he'd ever been inside; there was a doorway to the right that Finn was sure led to the small bedrooms, a half-circle of couches that looked to be made from sturdy adobe surrounding a small fireplace and shelf after shelf of datapads and child's toys. He took a small wooden speeder from one of the shelves, smiling as he saw a quick flash of a young Rey giggling madly as she chased her father around, making those _pew-pew_ sounds that children always make when imitating blaster fire. As he put the speeder back in its place, the holovid began to wind down. Just as it flickered out, there came a mad chuckle from the doorway.

Every person in the room spun around to find Padme herself standing in the doorway, staring with open malice and insanity at her once-beloved twin. Finn and Poe did not hear what was said between them because just then, Padme jerked her head and ten Stromtroopers filed neatly into the room. Poe sprinted over to Finn and they both dived behind the adobe couches, and only just in time as blaster-bolts hit the wall just behind where they had been standing only a moment before. "Why is it that every time I do _anything_ to try to help those two, I wind up getting shot at!?" Poe complained loudly, making Finn laugh.

"I guess it's just your winning personality," Finn shouted back, "I'll take half, you take half?"

Poe chuckled, "Sounds fair to me!" Just then, Ben and Rey lunged apart, just as Padme's light-saber sliced into the holocron, only just missing them. Poor BB-8 and Tuk-Tuk cowered beside Finn and Poe, BB-8 whirring and beeping, clearly terrified. Finn aimed carefully and fired his blaster, hitting his target right in the heart, just as Poe dropped his target. Just then, Rey was lifted off her feet by Force-Lightening and flung into a wall. When she hit the ground, she lay there, terribly still. Ben roared with rage and Force-Pushed his sister through the wall of the little hut and clear into the yard. Finn glanced at Poe, who nodded and whispered, "Now would be a good time for another Jedi to appear out of nowhere..."

Finn nodded grimly and stood. The Stormtroopers laughed and mocked him, "So Captain No-Nerves is going to fight us himself, is he? That's cute; are you sure you don't need an army to take us on?"

Finn bared his teeth at them, "No, I don't need an army...I _am_ an army." The 'Troopers laughed again as they sent another volley of blaster-fire at him, all of which he managed to deflect with the Force. They lowered their weapons, muttering among themselves, "My turn," Finn said quietly. From beneath his coat, he drew his silver handled light-saber and activated the matching blade, admiring the way it curved gently. Without warning, he Force-Jumped at the eight remaining Stormtroopers, cutting downward at an angle, cutting down two more. With a surprised shout, the 'Troopers resumed fire, but Finn deflected the bolts easily with his saber. In short order, the last six fell before him; glancing towards Poe, he saw his friend and bond-brother leaning against the mantelpiece, smiling.

"You've gotten better, you know. You were right about one thing, though," he mused as his brow knitted together, "You really _are_ a one-man army now, aren't you? Luke was right' you just needed to trust your feelings. They haven't led you wrong yet, have they?"

Finn smiled, "No, they haven't." Just then, Rey moaned behind them. The two of them rushed to her prone form, astonished that she was conscious.

Suddenly, her eyes popped wide open and she gasped out,"Ben! Go and see to Ben!"

"But Rey, you..." Finn began, but she cut him off, creaming so loudly that Finn was afraid her throat might tear.

"Go! Ben needs you! See to Ben! Go NOW! See to BEN! GO!" Her voice echoed through the small space deafeningly.

The sheer hysteria in Rey's voice and the lack of sense in her eyes had Finn lurching to his feet and sprinting out the front door. As he hurtled into the brutal desert sun, he pushed the Force through his limbs, urging them to move faster. After a few moments, he saw a gray lump laying face-down on the ground, "Oh, no," Finn muttered to himself. Reaching his friend at last, Finn found him laying in a Ben-shaped, inch-deep crater. Feeling quickly for a pulse, Finn sighed in relief; he was alive. Afraid to move him for fear that Ben's spine might be damaged, Finn quickly assessed the damage that he could see, noticing that his cybernetic leg was badly damaged. He sank quickly into the Force, searching for any spinal injuries or anything else that would cause a problem if Ben were moved. He found some slight internal bleeding and quickly healed them with the Force. Every time he came across a spot where the damage was too much for Ben to deal with until they could reach some bacta tanks, he healed those spots, too. Satisfied, he turned and shouted back to the house, "BB-8! Get out here; I need you!" In short order, the little droid had sped his way to Finn's side. "Look at his cybernetic leg, BB-8. Do you think you can fix that?" The little droid leaned over, staring at the offending limb. On a slightly rude noise, he flipped out his miniature blowtorch and got to work. "Thanks, but watch your mouth."

Just then, Rey and Poe hurried over, Rey kneeling by Ben's head; about this time, Ben came to and words were exchanged, but Finn wasn't listening; he was too busy trying to heal Ben a bit more without drawing notice from either him or Rey. Poe snorted, but managed to turn it into a sneeze just in time, _Yeah; good luck not getting caught by the former Prince of Darkness_ , came the sarcastic thought. Finn smirked slightly in response and finished just in time for BB-8 to ask if Ben would stand so he could finish the repairs. Finn relayed the message and Ben did as he was asked, though he wobbled a bit.

Once the leg was fully repaired, they made their way, limping and cursing, to the waiting speeder, where Rey gave over control of the pilot's seat to Poe and they hurried off to Mos Eisley where Luke and the rest of their forces were waiting for them. After a few moments, Finn glanced into the back seat but quickly turned back, feeling like he was intruding on their moment of quiet privacy; he sensed that they had sunk together into the Force for the trip. "We got lucky back there; I hope you know that. We wouldn't have been if Padme had realized that there were _three_ Jedi here, and not just two. I can't believe we were so foolish. We should have taken the holo-disc and left; we should have watched it once we got back to Tagoria. If we had, Padme wouldn't know the location of the Darksaber."

Poe glanced at his friend in sympathy, "Finn, there's no use beating yourself up about it. You know the way those two are when they get their minds on something – not even a rampaging _Rancor_ could change their minds. It could just be the influence of being around so many Jedi speaking, but I think everything's going to work out just fine. Don't worry so much."

Finn smiled, "Wow. You almost sounded like a Jedi, yourself. What _I_ am not looking forward to is Master Luke's reaction to the news. I guess we'll just have to try to beat her to Kashyyk, won't we?" Poe nodded. As Mos Eiseley came into view, Ben and Rey stirred in the back; smoke rose from the spaceport and as they drew nearer, Finn saw that bodies of Stormtroopers laid as though a child had strewn them about. It wasn't long before they found Luke and Ben had relayed the news. Luke's thoughts flickered in Finn's direction, _What happened?_

Finn did his best to not betray any emotion as he responded, _She knew where the hut was; I think she had the suspicion that there was something left for Rey. We should have left immediately, rather than sticking around to watch the holocron; I'm sorry, Master._

Luke nearly smiled, _Don't blame yourself, Finn. You know how my nephew can get._

Poe hid his smirk behind his hand as he thought, _Told you so._ Finn turned to glare at him; by this time, Ben and Rey were ready to head back to the shuttle; before long, they had shaken the dust of Tattooine off the landing rudders and were back on Tagoria. Casting his thoughts, he found that Twila had already returned, made his excuses, and hurried off to find her. She was waiting in her doorway when he got there, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Finn smiled, "How is it you always know?" He said as he leaned in to kiss her, "She was there. Padme. She got there after us, and now she knows where the Darksaber is," Twila gasped, "So, it looks like we're going to mobilize as fast as we can and get to Kasyyk. Hopefully we can beat her there, but I just don't know." Finn sighed, "How was Naboo?"

Twila's brow knitted and he sensed the strain rolling off of her, "It was terrible; so many dead, I could hardly believe it. Every single Twi'lek on Naboo is gone," her voice cracked, "I knew most of them personally. I worked with them, Finn. Padme may be Ben's twin sister, but she has much to answer for."

Finn wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I know, love, but it has to be Ben. It can't be anyone else."

Twila looked oddly at Finn for a moment before nodding, "I know. Somehow, I knew that. I feel terrible for him."

Finn nodded, "Yeah; me, too. I'm exhausted. Mind if I crash for a bit?" Twila nodded and without preamble, Finn fell backwards on her bed and was instantly asleep.

***Author's Note***

Ooooooo...Pissed off Finn! This chapter was pretty fun to write; I bet you know what I'm going to say next...As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think in the reviews, if you'd like!


	34. Chapter 34

***Author's Note***

Good Afternoon, dear readers! So, this is officially the second-to-last chapter of this story; it's been a long, fun journey, and I'm so, so excited for the next one! There's so very much going on in this chapter that I think I'll just let you find out for yourselves! ^_^ Enjoy!

***End Note***

The next morning, Finn was woken by Huur and Twila talking quietly in her doorway, "I'm sorry, Huur, but he's sleeping. The Council will just have to wait; he didn't even take a turn in the 'fresher when he got back yesterday. He's been sleeping since – please."

Finn could hear the regret in Huur's voice as he responded, "It is sorry that I am, Blue. It is bedlam in the Council Chambers and it is they that demand to see him; my paws are bound."

Finn sat upright and said in a voice still rough with sleep, "It's alright, Twila. Just let me take a turn in the 'fresher and get some clean clothes, and I'll come along; I'm still covered in Stormtrooper blood. And Ben's blood. And Rey's blood. Eugh; I've got a lot of people's blood on me."

Huur sniffed at the air, "So that is from where that stench comes."

Finn chuckled, "I'll be out in a minute." The door slid shut as Finn rolled out of bed, groaning at the bruises he hadn't realized were there. He hurried through the 'fresher and stepped gratefully into the clothes that Twila had fetched for him from his an Poe's quarters, "Thanks, Twila. I'll be back as soon as I can; after, I'd like to take you to meet Ben and Rey, if that's alright?"

Twila beamed at him, "I'd love that; I could properly apologize!"

Finn rolled his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her before hurrying out the door. Huur knelt beside him, sniffing, "Much better. Death no longer hangs about you."

Finn snorted out a laugh as Huur strode quickly down the hallway, but he was just so _damn_ tall that Finn had to run to keep up with him. Before long, they reached the Council Chambers; they could _hear_ the chaos inside, even through the door. Finn glanced apprehensively up at Huur, who laid a gentle paw on his shoulder, his eyes soft with understanding, "Beside you all the way, little friend."

When the doors slid open, the entire room fell completely silent. Thirty pairs of feline eyes were locked on him as he walked calmly in and took his seat, as Huur did the same beside him. "Well, there's no need to be civilized on my account. Please, do continue."

To their credit, the entire Council _did_ manage to look fairly abashed as Yara raised his voice to speak, "Captain, for you we have been waiting before debate _truly_ begins."

Finn's eyebrows winged up, " _That_ was the debate not starting yet? Well, I can't wait for what you have to argue with me about this time."

A delegate across the way spoke in an accent thicker than most, "Rude is your talk. Appreciated not by us."

Finn raised an eyebrow, "And being dragged from a dead sleep before the sun has even risen after fighting Master Ren and her contingent of Stormtroopers on Tattooine just to be towed in here and tossed into this _deliberation_ without breakfast, let alone so much as a cup of tea or a thank you for your presence! _I_ would very much like to still be in said bed, but I have a duty, so I came. Of course, I suppose I _could_ have stayed in the clothes I slept in and _not_ taken a turn in the 'fresher, but I thought you would appreciate me _not_ reeking of blood. Therefore, I repeat...What are you here to argue with me about _this_ time?" By the end of his diatribe, Finn had half-risen out of his chair, his hands splayed on the table and the delegate across from him had shrunk back into his own seat. Finn sat back down, stretching his fingers and still fuming.

Yara cleared his throat, "The Captain has an excellent point. He showed great courtesy to us, knowing how sensitive our noses are, and yet little courtesy has been returned," The ancient leader of Tagoria pressed a button beside him and a servant rushed in, standing perfectly still and awaiting orders, "Something for Captain Finn to eat must be brought and tea, also." The servant bowed and hurried from the room towards the kitchens. "Now; while you wait, if information could be given to us regarding the circumstances surrounding this sudden interest in Kashyyk, most grateful we would be."

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Thank you, Your Excellency. I apologize for my rudeness – it has been a very trying 48 hours. As for what happened, well, I suppose it would be fair to say that mistakes were made. However, I would also say that there is no fault to be had; we found Rey's childhood home, which was the reason for the journey to begin with. Rey was also correct in thinking that her father had left something for her there. He left her a holocron disk; for the most part, what was on it is a private matter between her and her father, and I will not disclose its contents. However, what no one could have predicted, especially now that Ben's bond with his twin has been severed permanently, was that Padme would show up just in time to hear Rey's father disclose the location of the Darksaber." The entire room inhaled as one and would have erupted if Finn hadn't stood, holding his hands out for continued silence, "We are already in motion to intercept her there; hopefully we'll get there first, but we're not betting on it – she _did_ have quite the head start and she nearly killed Rey _and_ Ben in the process. Our best guess is that it will come down to a final battle between Ben and Padme. The rest of us just have to give him enough time to take care of her himself; there is no one else who could do the job. Honestly, I don't envy him. I'd rather not have a sibling at all than be forced to kill them." As Finn returned to his seat, the servant returned with a tray of still-steaming food, fresh from the kitchen in one paw and a tray carrying a pot of tea and a cup, along with sugar, lemon, and honey in the other. These she set in front of Finn before bowing to him, "Thank you," Finn said as the servant turned to leave.

For the next few hours, the Council grew louder and louder until Huur rose from his seat. Instantly, the entire room stilled in respect, "The way it is seen by my eyes is this: Now is the time for us to decide if keeping our honor we will be. Will we fight as promised, or will we run?" The Council members who had been standing sat slowly down as Huur's statement sank in.

"For what it's worth, I agree with Huur. Now is the time, honored delegates, to decide whether or not you will accompany the Resistance to Kashyyk. There is no shame in it if you decide against it; you'll just miss out on all the honor and pride you could present to your children and grandchildren. One way or another, this battle will go down in history as the defining moment of this war. Will you look at your offspring in thirty years and be able to say to them that you were there, or will you confess that you felt it was... _unwise_...to risk it and abandoned your allies? Either way, there is no shame in this decision." Nearly every face around the massive marble table was slack with shock, though Finn could sense Huur and Yara's amusement and very carefully avoided looking in their direction. Slowly, the delegates managed to recover from their shock and Finn sat back in his chair, feeling very satisfied with himself as he took a sip from his steaming cup of tea.

After nearly three additional hours, Yara spoke again, "I believe the time for discussion is past now; please to give me your decision." To Finn's utter astonishment, there was complete agreement among the delegates: they would come to Kashyyk. Even Yara seemed surprised, "Well; agreed is this council, then. To war we will go," the last statement was said in a low growl that had the entire room erupting in cheers, growls, and varying battle-cries.

Finn stood, speaking around the lump that had formed in his throat, "Thank you, delegates. You cannot know what your support will mean to the Resistance. I must report to Genearl Organa immediately." Finn bowed hastily and spun on his heel, sprinting out of the room and down the halls, sending Tagorian and Resistance alike scattering as startled shouts followed him. Word quickly began to spread: Something had happened during the Council meeting. At last, Finn reached the war room where the General was cloistered with Ben, Rey, Captain Antilles, and Captain Morris. All of them looked up sharply, surprised at his sudden entry. Finn saluted hastily and spoke, panting, "General...The Council has voted...it was unanimous...They're coming...with us...to Kashyyk!"

Silence deep enough to see with the naked eye fell in the room for a few beats before every face split into a wide grin. The General walked over to Finn and clasped his hand tightly, "Well done, Finn. Well done. Wait...Did you say _unanimous_? Huh. I didn't know that old group of cats could ever agree on _anything_!"

Finn grinned sheepishly, "I might have shamed them slightly. I basically said that it didn't matter to _me_ whether or not they could tell their grandchildren that they fought alongside us."

Ben's deep chuckle rang through the room, followed by Rey's higher giggle, "Well done, Finn," Ben rumbled, still laughing. "Now, I _do_ have a bone to pick with you...Why haven't we met your mate yet? We've heard a lot about Twila, but why haven't we met – properly, that is." His eyes twinkled with mischief when Finn squirmed.

Finn cleared his throat, suddenly conscious of five sets of eyes on him, "Um, well, I'd actually talked to her this morning about bringing her around to meet her. It's just that things have been so crazy lately that we really haven't had the time."

Ben laughed again, "I understand; I'm just screwing with you. As long as we meet her before Kashyyk. It's looking like old times again; you, Poe, Rey, and myself will go down to Kashyyk first to try and track down the Darksaber first. I'm skeptical, but we'll see. Either way, this thing ends in two days, whether Padme makes it easy for me or not."

Finn stared at Ben for a moment, "You know, sometimes you scare me. Your predictions are just a _hair_ too accurate sometimes; it's creepy, man." Finn mock-shuddered for effect, surprising a laugh out of Ben. "I'll go get Twila and we'll meet you in the Mess Hall; I've been in that meeting since before the sun came up, and I haven't eaten since the breakfast I shamed them into bringing for me at about five; it must be nearly noon by now."

Ben nodded, "We'll see the three of you there; no doubt Poe will join us also."

Finn chuckled, "Undoubtedly." Finn left the room, making his way to the quarters he shared with Finn. Entering their quarters, he found Poe and Twila sitting on opposite beds, talking. When he entered, Twila looked at him; the moment her pink eyes met his brown ones, a fire lit in his gut, "The Tagorians are joining us on Kashyyk," he said, grinning widely.

Twila sprung up and ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. She squealed with laughter as he spun her around, "Oh, what wonderful news, Finn! Well done; I knew you could do it!"

Finn laughed with her for a moment, "Ben and Rey are waiting for us in the Mess Hall; they can't wait to meet you."

Twila clapped her hands excitedly and spun a little circle, "Oh, I look a mess! I'm going to take a quick turn in the 'fresher and change my clothes; give me fifteen minutes?" Finn nodded his agreement; Twila bounded forward, kissed him again, and danced out the door.

Finn shook his head after her as Poe wrapped a brotherly arm around his shoulders, "Brother, I think you've somehow managed to seduce yourself a fairy." Poe and Finn chuckled for a moment, "So; have you asked her yet?"

Finn cast an inquiring look at Poe, "Asked her what?"

Poe groaned and smacked Finn on the back of his head, "To marry you, you dunce!"

Finn felt the heat rise in his cheeks, "Oh, that. No, not yet. The time hasn't been right."

"Jeez, Finn; what's the plan? Are you going to ask her on the battlefield or something? No; ask her today; seriously! I took the liberty of acquiring something for you."

Poe handed Finn a small box, "Damn it, Poe! What are you, some kind of crazy matchmaker? You're suffering from delusions of..." Finn broke off, staring at the beautifully simple ring resting in the box. It was made of delicately braided silver and a single stone of the exact shade of Twila's eyes set directly in the middle. "Poe...That's...Wow...Thanks."

Poe smiled, "It's no problem, really. It's just, since Valerie...I guess I want everyone around me to have what I once had. I just want you, Twila, Ben, and Rey to be happy; that's all." Poe gave Finn a small squeeze and rubbed his shoulder, "Come on; we'd better get moving." They arrived before Twila, but only just.

She joined them at the table and opened her mouth to apologize one more time, but Ben forestalled her, "Twila, if you apologize again, I think I'll lose my mind. I understand, really I do. You're afraid for your people, and you're angry. I was the face of the First Order for a long time; it's understandable that you'd take your anger out on me. Not that I'd like it to happen again, of course, but...Anyway, it is my very greatest pleasure to meet you at last. I didn't want to push Finn to have you meet us; I know he's a very private person, but I thought it was time we met. And...speaking of pushing...Finn, don't you have something you wanted to ask Twila?"

Finn glared at his friend, "Well, uh, yeah, but I thought I'd do it _privately_ , not in front of all these people."

Rey jumped in, "Oh, come on! If I had to go through such a public thing, it's only fair that _she_ does, too!"

Finn rolled his eyes, "Oh, alright, alright! As long as it shuts you two up, fine." Finn slid out of his chair onto one knee, causing the entire Mess Hall to go silent and turn in his direction. He could sense the feeling of anticipation, "Perfect. Just _fucking_ perfect." He cleared his throat and drew the ring from his jacket pocket, "Twila, I've never needed any fancy words with you, and to be honest, they exhaust me. So, to be brief, I'll just say this: Twila, I've known that I loved you from the first moment I saw you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Twila had clamped her hands over her mouth as tears began to stream down her face. Unable to speak, she simply nodded and extended her left hand for him to slip the ring on. It was a perfect fit, and suited her hand perfectly.

The entire hall burst into raucous applause with many of his men shouting, "It's about damn time, No-Nerves!" This declaration was met with widespread laughter and it seemed like the entire hall surged forward to present their congratulations. Finn glared at Ben again, thinking, _One day, I'm not sure when or where, but_ _ **some**_ _day, I'm going to make you pay for this_...Out of the corner of his eye, Finn saw Ben's eyes crinkle in a sudden laugh, and he knew his friend had heard his threat.

Two days later, Finn stood with Twila at his side on the landing pad, watching the transport ships being loaded for the trip to Kashyyk as the sun just barely began to peak over the sea of trees around them after Ben and Rey had awoken Fin and Poe with their hilarity, that is.. Twila's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced to her left; whatever she saw surprised a laugh out of her, "I might have known," she muttered to herself. Finn followed her line of vision to see the outline of a _very_ familiar freighter angle towards one of the smaller landing pads. Finn and Twila grinned hugely and raced back inside to make their way to the smaller landing pad. They reached it just as the landing ramp lowered and a familiar bushy-haired redhead peeked out. Twila sprinted forward, shouting, "Thamian!" at the top of her lungs, flinging herself into the behemoth's arms as his booming laugh echoed through the early morning air. Those that heard it turned with a smile to see what the cause of such joy was. "I knew you'd come, Thamian! But, how did you know?"

Thamian smiled widely at her, "Ach, come on, Blue. You know me; I read the signs. I've seen them before – the last time – and I figured your mate would be in the middle of it, and you right there with him, so here I am! When you're in a fight, Blue, so am I." Just then, his clever eyes caught the glint of the ring on Twila's hand, "O-ho! So, you finally got off your arse and asked the lady, eh? When did he ask you?"

Twila giggled, "Just last night; Ben made him do it. I'm glad – he might never have done it on his own."

Finn shook his head at the pair of them, "Come on; we'd better let the general that you're here, and volunteering. I know you'll want to be beside her, so we'll have to get you stationed with her. But, Thamian?" The smuggler turned towards Finn, looking down at him, "Whatever happens, just...just take care of her, okay?"

Thamian grunted, his green eyes perfectly serious for once, "Of course, my friend. I'll take good care of her, sure and you've no fear of that." It took very little convincing to gain the General's favor and within the hour, they were all loaded onto the transport ships and embarking on an eight-hour race to Kashyyk, everyone feeling an absolute certainty that the conflict with the First Order was about to come to an end, at long, long last.

***Author's Note**

Yaaaay! Proposal, Thamian's back, and so much more! Ohhhh, this is gonna be fun! Off to write the last chapter, my friends! Enjoy and leave a review, if you'd like! I'll hopefully have the last chapter up later today.


	35. Chapter 35

***Author's Note***

Last chapter, y'all! *Sniffle*. That's okay! We're going out with a bang, ladies and gents! Enjoy!

***End Note***

They had been trudging through the forests of Kashyyk for hours, and Finn had begun to hope that, perhaps, they would find the Darksaber first, at least until they smelled smoke. They had rushed forward, coughing as the smoke grew thicker, until they had found the Old One. Finn and Poe had been too far back to hear what had been said but he hadn't seen Ben this furious since _Starkiller_. They had pressed on after burying the poor old Twi'lek; Finn had a dark flame growing in his heart after seeing what had been done to the Twi'lek. He knew how sensitive their lek'ku were, and the damage that they could do to their owner were they damaged at all; to have one _severed_? Finn couldn't imagine the pain, and hoped he never would. He'd nearly snapped Poe's head off when, on an offhand remark, he'd outed Finn's Force ability. Much to his surprise, Ben and Rey already knew, and had been honoring Finn's wishes, figuring he'd tell them when he was ready; it was probably for the best.

Now, though, they stood on the edge of the forest with the sky steadily growing darker and thunder tearing the air asunder as a terrible storm threatened to break right over their heads. On the right was the First Order, and on the left was the Resistance; Finn thought it looked like the scene from some epic novel or something; he'd never seen anything like it. Right in the middle of the Resistance forces, the Togorian army was spread, dressed in full battle armor, many of the males armed with crossbows and riding massive Mosgoths, which looked something like enormous flying lizards with terrible teeth and claws – these also wore battle armor. The females seemed more comfortable on the ground and armed with blasters, vibroswords and massive metallic spears. Privately, Finn was pleased that the Togorians were on their side. As Ben began exchanging words with Padme, Finn glimpsed the massive form of Huur sprinting towards him; he seemed able to cover a mile in a minute or two, but given his massive height, that wasn't surprising. Unlike the other males, however, he was not on a Mosgoth. He wore grand armor over his jet-black fur of shining silver over his chest, back, arms, hands, legs, and head, leaving his flexible tail free for balance, and his piercing blue eyes to glint from behind the helm; the effect made the eleven-foot-tall Togorian quite intimidating to look upon. Reaching Finn, he knelt in the mud and said, "I wish to stand by your side to fight, Captain. Under your command I place myself. Use me as you wish, Sir."

Finn was touched by the Togorian's courage, "Thank you, Huur. Also in my ranks, you will find a massive red-haired man standing beside Twila; bring them both here, please. I want all of my friends beside me today." Huur's eyes softened as he bowed and hastened to obey his Captain. In short order, Huur returned carrying Twila and with Thamian hurrying along behind him. They arranged themselves just in time, it seemed; just then, Padme screamed the order to attack and the First Order seethed forward like a line of ants. Ben, Rey and Luke stood with their light-sabers activated, waiting for the first of the Knights of Ren to try their skills.

Luke turned his blind eyes to Finn, "It's time, Finn!"

Finn smiled grimly, drawing his light-saber from under his jacket. He activated his curved silver blade and took his place beside his Master. Behind him, he heard Twila's light-saber activate, and she was standing beside him, a look of pride on her face. Huur roared like a panther as he strode forward, holding a massive poleaxe, followed in short order by Thamian, bellowing his battle-cry and brandishing his massive vibrosword. Silently, all of the remaining Force-Sensitives that were of age stepped forward with _their_ sabers activated. The Knights of Ren stopped for a moment, and the sight before Finn would be branded into his mind for all the rest of his days. Before him, a sinister red glow flickered and hissed in the darkness, but beside him, around him, it was as though all the colors of the Light had come to ground. Blues, yellows, greens, purples, oranges – every color of refracted light that nature could devise pulsed as one in the darkness, giving those that beheld it incredible hope; Finn felt it surge through the Resistance, along with the thought _We have a chance!_ It was, perhaps, the most palpable among Finn's company; not a one was surprised by the revelation that their Captain was a Jedi. To many, it explained a very great deal, and they were more willing than ever to follow him into war.

The moment passed, and the red surged forward again to be met by the light in a flash of light and the spark and hiss of two light-sabers meeting as the storm finally let loose its fury. Bedlam ensued – Finn was suddenly hyper-aware of everything around him. The flash of Twila's beautiful blue skin beside him, the flash of silver and black as Huur dashed past Finn, wielding his poleaxe masterfully, Thamian's bull-like bellow and the thrum of his sword cutting through the air, Poe's blaster firing madly, and Rey's double-bladed violet saber-staff flashing wickedly to his right. Behind him, he sensed Ben's vicious battle with Padme, and the sudden deaths of a dozen troops, at least. _No_ , he thought, but too late. He, Rey, Poe, and Luke found their weapons turning upon themselves before a shriek from Padme signaled their sudden ability to move on their own again. Shaking off their surprise, they dove back into the fight; none seemed to have noticed their odd behavior.

The battle went on and on; Finn had seen skirmishes before, and was no stranger to taking lives by now, but they were _nothing_ compared to the massive scale of this battle, now. His limbs began to ache and burn, but Finn knew that if he stopped, he would be dead. Eventually, he entered a sort of trance, almost a fugue-state where time ceased to exist and he no longer felt the pain of his arms; all he was aware of for quite some time was the Knight before him and the people beside him, until something drew him back to himself again. _Pain_ terrible, consuming _pain_ lashed across his Force-Bond with Twila and her piercing scream split the air; Finn saw nothing but red and a Knight standing over his beloved. Finn Force-Jumped over the forces between him and Twila, whether friendly or not, he would never know, and landed beside her, eyes mad and a fierce cry tearing from his throat. The Knight panicked and stumbled backwards, trying desperately to fend Finn off; feeling the pull of the Dark side, Finn pulled back and thrust his left hand forward, knocking the wind from his opponent and sending him to the ground, sparing his life; he turned on his heel and sprinted back to Twila's prone form, spraying muck, blood, and mud everywhere. He fell to his knees beside her, lifting her gingerly in his arms, still feeling pain radiating from her; she was unconscious. Huur and Thamian were beside him in an instant. Thamian was pale, but Huur was growling viciously, deep in his throat, and his blue eyes were darting here and there for the next threat as his blood-soaked tail twitched in his rage.

Finn tried three times before he found his voice, "Huur, I need you to get her out of here; run as fast as you can and get her out of here." Huur's feral eyes snapped to Finn's and his growl grew louder. "NOW, Huur! _PLEASE_! You promised to do as I asked; I'm asking now: keep her safe. There is honor in this, I swear – if she dies, so will I. I will owe you my life if you do this, Huur."

Sanity slowly returned to Huur's eyes; they softened and he nodded, "Yes, Captain. It will be as you wish; I will protect her with my life."

Finn thanked Huur as he scooped Twila into his massive arms and sprinted from the battlefield, splashing through the mud and scattering Togorian, First Order, and Resistance alike. Finn turned to the ashen-faced Thamian who whispered, "I promised to protect her."

Finn leaned in and shouted over the noise, "She's alive; I can feel it! You did your job well – the only reason I asked Huur to take her, and not you is because he's faster!"

Thamian rose from the mud, wiping tears from his face. His green eyes fell on someone behind Finn and they went deadly cold, "I want that bastard that did it; let me take him."

Finn turned to see the Knight who's life he had spared cut down another Force-User, laughing. Feeling his own eyes harden, Finn nodded. Needing no further invitation, Thamian bellowed again, his vibrosword held out to the side, ready to swing forward at a moment's notice. Battles all around the pair paused as they took in Thamian's terrifying speed. The Knight turned, his head cocked as he beheld Thamian, and Finn would swear for years thereafter that he sensed the son of a bitch _smirk_. He brought his lgiht-saber up to block Thamian's blow, clearly expecting it to cut through Thamian's sword like butter. However, Thamian's sword was an old one that had passed from father to son since the days of the Old Republic, when vibroswords were built to withstand the heat and power of a light-saber, and when the Sith were a blight spreading through the galaxy. Finn sensed the shock as Thamian's blade met the light-saber, and _held_. The combatants struggled for a moment, each pressing against the other until Thamian strode forward, just one step. The Knight jumped backwards, his chest heaving. He sprung at Thamian again, this time striking with Force _and_ blade, but the wily smuggler expected it and turned his enormous right shoulder into the blast and dug his feet into the ground. He was pushed back a few paces, but recovered quickly, swinging at the Knight, intent on keeping him too busy to use any Force tricks against him. At last, Thamian batted the light-saber away one final time and ran his enormous blade through the Knight who had dared harm his dear Blue. Thamian stood with his sword in the Knight's chest for a moment before drawing it back and allowing his opponent to fall, lifeless, to the ground. Stormtroopers and Knights alike drew away from Thamian, while Resistance fighters drew nearer and Togorians looked on him with new respect. Thamian spoke quietly, as though to himself, "For you, Blue."

Finn turned to find his next opponent when the sky was split by a scream of terrible loss, and he was rocked to his knees as an echoing cry rang through his head. He realized then that Rey was no longer standing beside him. _Poe!_ He called his brother and together, they raced towards where they'd heard the scream, Thamian hard on their heels. What they saw, none there would ever forget. Rey knelt in the rain and mud, staring across at Ben, who sobbed and keened, holding Padme's lifeless form in his lap. It was finished; Padme Solo was dead, and the war was over, for the most part. Chewie and Leia managed to get them up, Ben lifting his sister's body as he went. A path opened for the procession and Finn, Poe, and Thamian took it upon themselves to act as the rearguard.

Days went by and still there was no word on Twila's condition from the Togorian doctors that had flown immediately to Kashyyk to help with the medical needs from the aftermath of the battle. Finn and Poe spent their hours, instead, clearing the dead and dying from the battlefield as the carrion-fowl circled overhead, hoping to gorge themselves on the rapidly-decaying flesh of the fallen. They searched, also, for the Darksaber, which seemed to have vanished once again. Whispers started that a shadowy figure had been seen one night stelaing away from the battlefield, but no one was ever found. That evening, there was yet another mass-funeral, and the families of all involved had arrived, just in case their loved ones were among the fallen. This particular evening, there was a woman who had been quite talented in the Force who was to be honored at the mass-funeral. He body was laid on a pyre, like all the others, but a young girl rushed forward, screaming for her mother; she could not have been more than six. She wept and tried desperately to tug her mother's body from the pyre, to no avail. At last, she screamed and her mother was lifted through the Force and laid gently at her daughter's side. The girl laid over her mother's chest, sobbing and begging her to open her eyes. Finn glanced at Poe, who's eyes were trained on the girl and his jaw slack. _Finn, I think...I think I'm meant to..._ Finn understood without Poe needing to finish the thought.

He strode forward and laid a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, "Child, where is your father?"

"He died on D'Qar," she replied, though it was muffled by her mother's shoulder. Finn saw the image of the massive blonde who had fallen beside him on D'Qar. He glanced back at Poe, his eyes grim and nodded, once.

Poe stepped forward hesitantly, "Child? What is your name?"

"Lilia," came the muffled reply.

Poe looked at her caretaker and asked, "Who is to raise Lilia?"

The woman shook her head and sighed sadly, "I don't know, sir. It is most likely that she will be sent to an orphanage with the other children."

Poe's eyes narrowed, "No. I will take her as my own." The girl looked up at him and he knelt beside her, "If that's alright with _you_ , anyway." The girl's eyes filled with tears and she lunged at him, nodding into his chest. From that day forward, Poe and his adopted daughter were inseparable. Rey and Luke arranged for all of the children to be tested for Force-Potential, and all who showed aptitude were set aside to be taken for training, becoming wards of the Jedi and Neutral Orders.

At last, the next morning, Finn had news from the doctors; Twila was awake, though still in immense pain. He could see her, but if he upset her, he would be removed. Finn entered the rooms in the Wookie tree-city that had been selected for use as medical centers; Twila had only just that morning been moved from the intensive care unit to another room, where she was still under constant surveillance, just in case. At first, Finn could not understand why; she looked fine to him, apart from a vicious, white scar that stretched from her collarbone to her ear on the right side. As his eyes followed the line of the scar, he saw it: her right lek'ku had been severed at her shoulder. At once he understood; Twi'leks had been known to die after the loss of a lek'ku, and she was still somewhat shocky. His eyes filled with tears of sympathy as he gazed on her, "Oh, my poor love. You'll be alright. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Twila's pink eyes opened, and he saw that her face was streaked with tears, "You...you still _want_ me?"

Finn smiled at her, "Of course I do. You're my mate, and nothing will change that. Ever." A movement in the corner brought Huur to Finn's attention, "Thank you, my friend; I owe you my life for looking after her." Huur inclined his head and told Finn that if ever there was anything he needed to not hesitate to ask. Twila recovered quickly after that, and within two weeks, they were back on Togoria.

Their wedding was held the next week on a clear, soft day in the jungles of Togoria. It was a simple affair, where Finn and Twila were both dressed in elegant silver that flowed from them, though Twila's gown was slightly more elaborate than Finn's simple tunic and trews; both were barefooted and wore circlets of flowers on their foreheads. Twila's lek'ku were draped over her shoulders and a pink tip had been applied to the end of her right lek'ku. Finn thought he had never seen anything more beautiful in all his life. They stood beneath a pair of trees that had grown together in an arch in a meadow that had been used for such a purpose before. Luke bound their hands with a silver cord, then handed a cup of wine first to Finn, then to Twila and both took a sip in their turn. Luke pronounced them man and wife and Finn leaned down to kiss her, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. Later, as they sat and watched traditional Togorian dances, Twila leaned in to Finn and whispered, "I've been thinking about getting genetically altered so we can have children. We could, of course, adopt if you'd rather, but I thought I'd ask you first."

Finn beamed down at her, "We could always do both," he whispered back. She smiled and nodded her agreement. Finn laid his cheek on the top of Twila's head and lifted her hand to kiss the knuckles. He thought no wedding had ever been more perfect. As night fell, great fires were built and the dancing continued, culminating in a beautiful dance between Huur and his mate as a special honor to Finn and Twila; it had been announced only the day before that Huur would take over for his Grandfather, Yara, by the end of the month as the leader of Togoria. Finn watched the pair stalk each other in the dance and sighed happily. He thought he could handle anything, as long as his own mate and his friends stood by his side.

The End

***Author's Note***

I thought ending it at the wedding was about perfect. So; tomorrow, I'll be putting up the first chapter of The Darksaber Resurfaces. I am so, so excited for you to see where our friends will go and what they'll get up to in the next one. Hope you enjoyed the story, and as ever, thanks for reading and please leave a review, if you'd like!


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